The withdrawal, initiated by Moldova’s foreign ministry, passed with 60 votes in the 101-seat parliament. Lawmakers from the Communist Party and Socialist Party voted against, arguing that leaving the CIS would have catastrophic consequences for the country’s economy.
The legislation must now be signed by President Maia Sandu. The foreign ministry will then send the required documents to the CIS Executive Committee, after which Moldova’s withdrawal will take effect 12 months later.
Moldova’s foreign ministry argued that the CIS no longer upheld its core values and principles, especially the provision under which member states “mutually recognize and respect territorial integrity and the inviolability of existing borders.”
Parliament said leaving the bloc was also a natural step toward Moldova’s goal of joining the European Union.
It added that Moldova has already withdrawn from about 70 CIS agreements as part of a broader effort to align its domestic policies and legal and economic framework with EU standards and norms.
The CIS was created to formalize economic and diplomatic ties among former Soviet states. Ukraine and Georgia have already left the bloc. Besides Russia, its members include Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while Turkmenistan is an associate member.
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Source: PAP