Moldova To Create ‘Anti-Propaganda Centre’ to Counter Russian Disinformation

Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Monday announced the launch of legislative initiatives to create an institution to combat Russian propaganda and better protect citizens from manipulation.

"We must defend Moldova from informational attacks and increase citizens' resistance to misinformation. The national centre for informational defence and combating propaganda - PATRIOT - will have the mission of coordinating the state's policy in informational security and combating disinformation at the national level," Sandu said.

She added that the text of the legislative initiative will be published on Tuesday on the website of the presidency for consultations. The draft bill will be sent to parliament by the end of June.

"Those who launch and spread falsehoods want to cause fear, hatred and division. Day by day, the Kremlin and criminal groups launch hybrid attacks and use the weapon of propaganda to sow hatred in Moldova, to weaken our trust in each other and our trust in our state," Sandu said.

She claimed that the Kremlin spends huge sums to spread lies in the media and on social networks and "finances criminal groups with dirty money that try to stop us from our way of developing the country".

Sandu's announcement comes after the foreign ministers of the European Union last Monday agreed to send a new civilian mission to Moldova to strengthen its security against hybrid threats in the context of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine.

The EU mission was created on April 24 to improve Moldova's resistance to hybrid threats, including energy security, so that it can counteract the manipulation of information or foreign interference.

The EU mission will be led by Cosmin Dinescu, Romania's ambassador to Latvia and Lithuania....

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