Moldova officially withdraws from the Commonwealth of Independent States: Parliament's historic decision

The Parliament of Moldova has adopted a final decision to withdraw from the statutory bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), according to the press service of the country’s parliament.

Members of parliament denounced the Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS, its protocol, and the organisation’s charter.

The document was supported by the majority of MPs, thus approving Moldova’s withdrawal from the core structures of the CIS.

The decision comes at an initiative by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which says that the CIS’s core values and principles are no longer respected, particularly with regard to territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. The authorities refer to the actions of the Russian Federation in the region, including the war against Ukraine and the illegal military presence on the territory of Moldova.

After the denunciation, Moldova’s state budget will save about 3.1 million lei annually — the amount the country had been contributing to the CIS budget. Relations with member states will continue on bilateral and multilateral bases, and the country will stay party to some agreements, particularly in the economic and social fields.

Withdrawal from the organisation is also considered a "natural and inevitable step" on the path toward joining the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted.

Even after withdrawing from the statutory bodies, Moldova will continue cooperating with individual member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States through bilateral and multilateral platforms. The country will remain a party to a number of agreements within the Commonwealth, particularly in trade-economic and social areas.

Prior to this decision, Moldova had already denounced around 70 agreements within the CIS as part of a gradual alignment of its national legislation with European Union standards.