Albania and Greece return to talks on Albanian pensions in Greece

2022-05-22 22:33:58Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Albania and Greece return to talks on Albanian pensions in Greece
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Albania and Greece have set up a joint technical commission to discuss an agreement between the two countries on the issue of pensions of Albanian emigrants in Greece.


According to Albanian diplomatic sources in Athens, the commission of technical experts of social security from both countries has been working for two months.
Albanian Ambassador to Athens Luela Hajdaraga told TV Tribuna that broadcasts for Albanians in Athens that both the Greek side and the Albanian side have a positive will to initiate the agreement on social security or as it is otherwise known "the pension agreement".


Talks on this topic are expected to be on the diplomatic agenda of the Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, who will be in Tirana on Monday, May 23 to meet with the Albanian authorities.


In March of this year, a new draft law was introduced in the Greek Parliament that facilitates the provision of full national pension for Albanian emigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union.


Under current Greek legislation, the national pension for these two categories of immigrants is granted to those who have resided in Greece for 40 years.
In the case of Albanians, obtaining pensions under the current law became impossible after Albanians emigrated to Greece after the 1990s, when the communist regime was overthrown, and only after 2030 should applications start to benefit from the pension scheme.

The new draft law on pensions presented in March in the Greek Parliament envisages the reduction by 30 years of residence to receive a national pension from the 40 years that is in the current law.

Albanian emigrants have been regular contributors to Greek social security schemes because insurance payments were compulsorily linked to obtaining residence permits.

Albanians are the largest national group of foreigners and now make up about 51 percent of the emigrant population in Greece./ VOA


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