Overview
- Parliament approved the denunciation with 60 votes, following a government decision on November 5 to pursue closure of the Russian Centre for Science and Culture.
- The government says the 2021 agreement renews automatically, meaning a withdrawal would take effect only after July 4, 2026 unless specific conditions are met.
- Rossotrudnichestvo said it has not received formal notification of the move, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov voiced regret over Chisinau’s course.
- Ruling PAS lawmakers cast the step as shielding Moldova from Russian hybrid interference, while the Socialists, Communists, the Alternative bloc and independent Vasiliy Tarlev opposed.
- Russian community leader Lyudmila Lashchenova said she was denied a chance to speak during the debate, and agency head Yevgeny Primakov vowed not to punish ordinary Moldovans and to continue student recruitment.