Moldova officially notifies Russia about denunciation of agreement on cultural centers

The Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) announces that all necessary internal procedures for the denunciation of the Agreement between the governments of Moldova and the Russian Federation on the establishment and operation of cultural centers, signed on October 30, 1998, and entered into force on July 4, 2001, have been completed.

Thus, Moldova’s MAE has officially notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation about the termination of the aforementioned agreement.

According to the provisions of the agreement, it was concluded for an initial period of five years, being subsequently automatically extended for successive intervals of five years each. The termination takes effect within six months of notification. The agreement will cease to be valid on July 4, 2026.

The parliament denounced the Agreement with the Russian Federation on cultural centers on November 13, this year.

The termination of the Agreement was initiated in February 2025, at a request by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, following a serios violation of Moldova’s airspace by Russian drones.

The draft on denunciation was developed by the Ministry of Culture, which argues that, in the context of the current geopolitical situation and the high risk of misinformation, the Agreement with the Russian Federation can be used as a tool for promoting distorted narratives, posing a risk to the informational security of Moldova.

At the same time, considering that Moldova does not have a cultural center on the territory of the Russian Federation, there is no equitable mechanism for promoting information about Moldova, which undermines the balance and original purpose of the Agreement.