The Moldovan government passed a law abolishing the Russian Cultural Center, which drew criticism from the Kremlin and the opposition. The Center allegedly carried out sovereignty-violating activities.
On Wednesday, the Moldovan government approved a bill to close the Russian Cultural Center in the country. This move has earned condemnation from the Kremlin and the Moldovan opposition, TASR reports, according to an AFP report.
The new government cabinet approved the bill on the cultural center at its first meeting, according to a government statement. The proposal will cancel a 1998 agreement between Moldova and Russia on cultural centers, under which they established a center in Chisinau in 2009.
Center cancellation plan
Culture Minister Cristian Jardan said the center was “in no way cultural”. “Activities aimed at undermining the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova were carried out under his auspices,” he said in a statement. According to local media, the center employed six Russian diplomats in 2023.
“It is a great pity that the Moldovan leadership continues to put our country in a hostile position,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday. “We can only express regret,” he said in response to the bill.
Reactions of the opposition and the Kremlin
Moldova announced its intention to close the center back in February. At the moment, it is not clear when the parliament will vote on the bill.
The opposition Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) condemned the proposal as “a new manifestation of Russophobic politics.” According to her, the government “continues to destroy Moldova’s long-standing relations with one of its most important strategic partners.”
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has repeatedly accused Russia of interfering in the affairs of the country neighboring Ukraine. Her political party won the elections in September, keeping Moldova on the pro-European path, AFP added.
