The Moldovan parliament voted on the 27th of November to close the Russian cultural center, seeking to reduce Moscow’s influence in the country, Reuters reports.
The Russian ambassador was summoned a day earlier for talks over the entry of Russian drones into Moldovan airspace, and Moldova said such situations were unacceptable.
57 of the 101 members of parliament voted to close the Russian cultural center. The majority in parliament belongs to the pro-European party of President Maia Sandu. The government has said that the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Chisinau could serve as a tool for spreading narratives harmful to Moldova’s security. Taking into account legal considerations, the center will continue to operate until July 2026. There has been talk of closing it for several months.
Sandu was first elected in 2020 and has since steered Moldova towards joining the European Union. The president has condemned Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and accused Moscow of trying to destabilize the situation and manipulate public opinion in Moldova, which is sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member Romania.
Moldovan Culture Minister Cristian Jardan said
the government had not been able to clarify the nature of the center’s activities since 2021,
as it had not proposed any joint projects or events. Meanwhile, pro-Russian opposition parties have said the government also has no evidence of any criminal activity.
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry has called for the center to be closed down in advance. On the 26th of November, the ministry said the latest incident – the entry of six Russian drones into Moldovan airspace – was a serious threat to Moldova’s sovereignty and the security of the entire region.
Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov has expressed doubts that one of the drones displayed near the Moldovan Foreign Ministry building was actually connected to a real violation of airspace borders, suggesting that talk of the incident is aimed at further undermining the already poor relations between Moscow and Chisinau.
Russia has accused Moldova of pursuing a Russophobic policy.
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