CHISINAU, June 6. /TASS/. Moldova's authorities should reinstate Russian's status as a language of interethnic communication, which was previously enshrined in the republic's Constitution, Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Ozerov said.
"Let Russian once again become the official language of interethnic communication in Moldova," Ozerov told reporters during a flower-laying ceremony at the monument to renowned Russian poet and prose writer Alexander Pushkin in Chisinau.
The Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and Moldova of November 19, 2001, enshrines Chisinau's obligations to create conditions for the proper study and use of the Russian language in the country. However, the education code adopted by the Moldovan authorities in 2014 guarantees education in secondary schools only in the state language, while education in languages of international circulation or languages of national minorities should be carried out "within the possibilities of the education system."
This year, the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, which supports incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu, decided to shut down the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Chisinau. This move sparked sharp criticism from a public organization that brings together citizens of different nationalities based on their interest in Russian culture.