The Parliament of Moldova has voted for the country’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Lawmakers approved, in the second reading, the denunciation of the CIS founding agreement, as well as its protocol and statute, completing Moldova’s withdrawal from the organization’s statutory bodies.
The decision follows an initiative by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which says the CIS’s core principles are no longer respected, particularly regarding territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.
Authorities also refer to the actions of the Russian Federation, including the war against Ukraine and the continued illegal military presence on Moldova’s territory.
Moldova joined the CIS in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The organization was formed the same year to maintain cooperation between former Soviet republics in areas such as economic, political, and security affairs.
According to Moldova’s Foreign Ministry, the denunciation of the CIS founding documents is a natural step on the country’s path to EU membership.
Moldova began the process of withdrawing from the CIS in 2022 and has so far denounced about 70 agreements. Chisinau remains a party to several trade, economic, and social agreements within the framework of the organization.
Eight countries remain members of the Commonwealth of Independent States: Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
