Moldovan parliament votes for withdrawal from CIS

The Moldovan parliament has passed legislation to withdraw from the agreement on the establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the CIS charter at the second reading.

The decision was supported by 60 of the 101 legislators from the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and Democracy at Home Party (PPDA), as well as former Prime Minister Ion Chicu from the Alternative faction.

Legislators from the Party of Communists and the Party of Socialists voted against the withdrawal from the agreements. They said "Moldova’s withdrawal from the CIS would have disastrous consequences for the Moldovan economy."

The Moldovan Foreign Ministry initiated the withdrawal from these agreements. The ministry said some CIS members were not observing the fundamental CIS values and principles. "Additionally, terminating the CIS agreement is a natural and inevitable step towards achieving the goal of joining the European Union," the ministry said in an explanatory note.

To date, Moldova has withdrawn from 71 out of 283 CIS agreements, and about 60 are under consideration. The parliament explained this by the need to align national policy with the European Union’s and update the national legislative and economic framework in line with its standards and norms.

The Foreign Ministry will submit the relevant documents to the CIS Executive Committee once the Moldovan president signs the bills into law. After that, the withdrawal from the Commonwealth, in accordance with the Vienna Convention, will be completed in 12 months.