Moldova avoiding civilized diplomatic dialogue with Russia — MFA

Lead

Russian diplomats have accused Moldova of shunning a civilized diplomatic dialogue with Moscow and of carrying out what they describe as anti-Russian directives from Brussels. The criticism comes amid a broader dispute over the status of the Russian language in Moldova, where the parliament has moved to stop using it in legislative work.

Coverage Comparison

The story is covered by Russia's state news agency TASS, which has published two separate reports featuring statements from senior Russian diplomats. The first report, dated July 31, focuses on Russia's efforts to raise the issue of the Russian language in Moldova with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The second, dated August 10, quotes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin accusing Chisinau of following Brussels' lead against Russian interests.

Both reports rely exclusively on Russian official sources, presenting the Kremlin's viewpoint. No Moldovan government response or independent assessment is included in the material provided.

Key Claims

Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, told TASS that Russia regularly raises the issue of the Russian language's status in Moldova with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He said Russia calls for a "clear and unequivocal condemnation" of the actions of the Moldovan authorities, which he described as "a classic example of double standards" typical of so-called developed democracies. Gatilov also claimed that Russia's geopolitical opponents use the language issue to separate former Soviet republics from Russia.

In May, Moldova's parliament announced plans to stop using Russian in its legislative work, according to TASS. The provision was included in a draft code on the organization and operation of parliament submitted by lawmakers from the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity. A month earlier, the Russian-language plaque was removed from the parliament building, the report says.

Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon told TASS in June that the country's authorities had consistently restricted the use of Russian. He said Russian was removed from the school curriculum while current President Maia Sandu was serving as education minister from 2012 to 2015, and that bilingual official paperwork was later discontinued.

In the more recent TASS report, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin accused Moldova of "blindly carrying out directives from Brussels aimed primarily against Russia." He said Moldovan authorities restricted the operations of Russian and Russian-language media, launched a crackdown on political opponents interested in restoring dialogue with Russia, and made Russian-Moldovan contacts in economic, scientific-educational, cultural, and humanitarian spheres as difficult as possible. Galuzin also stated that the Moldovan side is "persistently avoiding" a civilized diplomatic dialogue on issues related to cross-border movement between the two countries.

Galuzin added that Moldovan leaders appear irritated by the daily work of Russian diplomacy, which he said aims to foster mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen traditionally friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries.