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Russian Foreign Ministry slams Moldova’s intention to toughen broadcast law

The amendments are aimed at seriously narrowing the space of Russian-language TV and Radio broadcasts in Moldova, where the Russian language is used as the language of inter-ethnic communication
Russian Foreign Ministry Gennadiy Khamelyanin/ITAR-TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry
© Gennadiy Khamelyanin/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, July 11 /TASS/. Amendments to Moldova’s TV and Radio broadcast law proposed by Moldovan deputies have an aim to seriously undermine the positions of Russian-language television and radio broadcasts in Moldova where the Russian language is used as the language of inter-ethnic communication, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The proposed amendments to the TV and Radio codes are aimed at seriously narrowing the space of Russian-language TV and Radio broadcasts in Moldova, where the Russian language is used as the language of inter-ethnic communication," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"This unfriendly move has been taken against the background of the recent trend to revive the Russian-Moldovan political dialogue," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Moscow will closely watch how things are going to develop in the wake of this initiative, which has clearly been made ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections in Moldova, and evolve as Russia and Moldova continue building their relations," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The amendments to Moldova’s TV and Radio broadcast laws had been drafted by the Liberal and Democratic Parties, which form the ruling coalition in Moldova. It means that TV channels will have to fill 100% of their air with domestic news and analytical programs of which 80% will be in "Romanian" (the authorities in Chisinau call the Moldovan language, which has the status of a state language in the country’s constitution, Romanian).

The Moldovan parliament adopted the amendments mentioned above in the first reading on July 7.