On Wednesday, Moldova ratified a law to terminate a cultural agreement with Russia that was established in 1998, reflecting the ongoing decline in diplomatic relations due to Moscow’s extensive military actions in Ukraine.

In February, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would initiate the process of closing the Russian Center for Science and Culture, which was launched in Chișinău in 2009, following concerns over a drone incident.

The Moldovan cabinet released a statement indicating that the center was financed by Rossotrudnichestvo, a Russian government agency responsible for cultural diplomacy, which is currently under sanctions from the EU.

The cabinet also highlighted that Moldova lacks its own cultural center in Russia.

“The Russian Cultural Center did not serve any genuine cultural purpose; it functioned to weaken Moldova’s sovereignty,” stated Cristian Jardan, the Moldovan Minister of Culture.

Moldova has consistently accused Russia of attempting to destabilize the country, which has a population of 2.6 million, under the pro-European administration of President Maia Sandu.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both Kyiv and Chișinău submitted applications to join the European Union.

The proposed legislation to annul the agreement will be forwarded to Moldova’s parliament for consideration.

In response, the Kremlin condemned the decision, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov claiming that Moldova is “rejecting everything associated with our country to the detriment of a considerable, if not larger, portion of its population.”

“We can only express our disappointment,” Peskov remarked during a daily press conference.