Who will have the right to organize pilgrimages?

The Supreme Council adopted law-in-draft designed to establish a special legal status for pilgrims and secure the exclusive right to pilgrimage activities for religious organizations in the first reading. Igor Buga, Andrey Safonov and Pavel Shinkaryuk, deputies of the profile committee, proposed to make an addition to the law "On freedom of conscience and on religious associations". The law-in-draft was initiated in connection with the need to adopt a new law "On tourism in the PMR", which is being worked on in the Supreme Council.

The amendment of the law “On freedom of conscience and on religious associations” concerns the clarification of the concepts of “tourist” and “pilgrimage” trip. Pilgrims visit holy places for worship and stay in temples, and tourists – for inspection and information. If the addition to the law proposed by the deputies is adopted in the second reading and signed by the President, then travel agencies will not be able to independently organize pilgrimages, but only trips to holy places. They can be attracted to the organization of the pilgrimage by religious organizations.

As Chairman of the Committee on Education, Public Associations and Media Igor Buga commented on the law-in-draft, a general procedure for organizing the pilgrimage will be provided with the adoption of this initiative, so that the rights of believers will be protected.

The law "On freedom of conscience and religious associations" will stipulate that religious organizations will have to organize accommodation for pilgrims, their food, transportation, etc.

The law-in-draft adopted in the first reading will be finalized by the Committee on Education, Public Associations and Mass Media for adoption in the second final reading.