The Government of the Republic of Moldova has approved and will submit to Parliament for consideration a draft law on the denunciation of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the Russian Federation on the establishment and operation of cultural centers. The agreement was signed in Moscow on October 30, 1998, and entered into force on July 4, 2001, according to TRIBUNA.

Under this agreement, the Russian Center for Culture and Science in Chișinău (also known as the Russian House / Russkiy Dom) was established in 2009. The institution operates under the direct administration of the Russian Embassy and is funded and managed by the Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo, which reports directly to the Presidency of the Russian Federation and is overseen by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The agency is under international sanctions and has been described by the European Union as “the main state agency projecting the Kremlin’s soft power and hybrid influence, including the promotion of the so-called ‘Russkiy Mir’ concept.”

“Following Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and in light of repeated destabilization attempts and ongoing information attacks by Moscow in the Republic of Moldova, this agreement can be used by the Russian Federation to promote distorted narratives, posing a risk to our country’s information security. The so-called Russian cultural center is anything but cultural—it is a platform under whose cover activities are carried out that undermine the sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova,” said Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan.

The agreement was concluded for an initial period of five years, with automatic extensions for successive five-year terms unless one of the parties provides written notice of termination. According to Article 17 of the agreement, either party may denounce it by notifying the other at least six months before the expiration of the current term—which is set to end on July 4, 2026.