EU and Moldova announce agreement on free roaming

The leader of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced an agreement on free roaming for mobile operators in Moldova.

She said this during her visit to Moldova on the eve of the summit of the European Political Community, a correspondent of the European Pravda reports from Chisinau.

The head of the European Commission did not provide details of this decision but emphasized that it was an agreement between mobile operators, the implementation of which will take more than six months.

"Today, operators have signed an agreement (on roaming - EP) that will come into effect next year. More affordable roaming is good for business, good for people, good for connectivity (between Moldova and the EU)," she said.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu also said that this is a decision that will come into force later, in early 2024.

"We are initiating the free-roaming agreement... It is important for us that Moldovan citizens can communicate more cheaply when traveling in Europe," she said.

It is worth noting that a similar agreement reached the operator level has been in effect for Ukrainian citizens since the beginning of spring 2022.

As of today, telecommunications operators in the EU and Ukraine are offering affordable or free calls between the EU and Ukraine on a voluntary basis due to the full-scale invasion of Russia and the departure of a significant number of Ukrainians to European countries.

Author - Olena Madiak, 31/05/2023