Moldovan parliament approves final withdrawal from CIS

The Moldovan Parliament has officially approved the country’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in a final reading. The decision to denounce three key documents – the 1991 founding agreement, its related protocol, and the 1993 Charter – was supported by 60 out of 101 deputies.

In January, Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi announced that Chisinau had launched the withdrawal process, according to Deutsche Welle.

The draft law was presented in parliament by Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Adrian Băluțel. He noted that the bill had already passed its first reading on March 20 and that no amendments had been submitted.

“Based on procedural provisions, the committee proposes adopting, in the second reading, the draft law on the denunciation of the agreement establishing the CIS and the accompanying protocol,” Moldpres quoted Băluțel as saying.

Reportedly, Moldova is expected to save around MDL 3.1 million annually – funds previously allocated to the CIS budget. Authorities said cooperation with CIS member states will continue in both bilateral and multilateral formats. Moldova will also remain a party to several agreements, particularly in the economic and social spheres.

Moldova has so far withdrawn from around 70 agreements within the CIS framework.

The CIS was established in December 1991 by 11 former Soviet republics, including Moldova, to formalize the dissolution of the Soviet Union and create a framework for cooperation among newly independent states.