Parliament has voted to denounce the Agreement establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the related Protocol, and the CIS Statute, TRIBUNA reports.

The initiative was put forward by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which argued that the core values and principles of the CIS are no longer respected. In particular, the Ministry highlighted the provision requiring member states to recognize and respect each other’s territorial integrity and the inviolability of existing borders. This principle, central to the creation of the CIS, is violated by the Russian Federation through its war against Ukraine, acts of aggression against Georgia, and the continued illegal presence of Russian troops on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

The Government also noted that leaving the CIS is a natural and necessary step in advancing Moldova’s objective of joining the European Union.

The CIS founding Agreement and its Protocol were signed in December 1991 by 11 former Soviet republics, including Moldova, with the aim of formalizing the dissolution of the USSR and establishing the CIS. The CIS Statute, signed in 1993, sets out the Community’s basic principles.

Following the denunciation, the state budget will save approximately 3.1 million lei, representing Moldova’s annual contribution to the CIS budget. Relations with CIS member states will continue through bilateral and multilateral platforms, and Moldova will remain party to several CIS treaties, especially in the economic, trade, and social fields.

To date, Moldova has denounced around 70 CIS agreements, as part of an ongoing process of aligning national policies and modernizing the country’s legislative and economic framework in line with EU standards.