Government Initiates the Denunciation of the Agreement with the Russian Federation on Cultural Centers

The Government of the Republic of Moldova has initiated the process of denouncing the Agreement with the Russian Federation on the establishment and functioning of cultural centers, signed in Moscow on 30 October 1998 and entered into force on 4 July 2001. The decision must be adopted by parliament and promulgated by the head of state. The initiative, put forward by the Ministry of Culture at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to terminate the legal consequences of the agreement and eliminate the instrument of Russian propaganda on the territory of our country, reports moldpres.md. These centers represent not Russian culture, but Russian aggression in the current geopolitical context. The presence of the Russian Cultural Centre in the Republic of Moldova has become a problem. The agreement does not provide for a clear procedure for early termination; it is automatically renewed every five years. Six months before the expiry date, we will notify the Russian side. With this initiative, we are getting rid of a propaganda tool that was operating on legal grounds,” said Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan. In turn, Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu called it a long-awaited initiative. The authorities emphasize that, under the current circumstances, Russia could use the agreement to spread distorted information, and Moldova does not have a cultural center on Russian territory. Denunciation of the agreement will not entail any financial or economic consequences, legislative changes or reorganization of existing structures; its legal consequences will cease after the decision is adopted by parliament and promulgated by the president.