Moldovan government denounces two more CIS agreements

CHISINAU, April 22. /TASS/. The Moldovan government has approved the denunciation of two agreements within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), related to the distribution of railcar and container fleets of the former Soviet Union and the creation of an interstate humanitarian cooperation fund. "The government approved the denunciation of the CIS agreement on the establishment of the interstate humanitarian cooperation fund, as in recent years we have not received any tangible benefits from this fund," Moldovan Culture Minister Cristian Jardan, who proposed the initiative, said at a cabinet meeting. After government approval, the draft laws on denunciation of both documents will be submitted to parliament. Earlier this month, decisions on Moldova’s withdrawal from the CIS founding agreements, including the agreement establishing the Commonwealth, its charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration, were approved by President Maia Sandu and entered into force. Chisinau subsequently notified the CIS Executive Committee and received confirmation. Formally, Moldova’s withdrawal from the CIS will take effect in 12 months, in April next year. In practice, however, the country’s membership in the organization has in recent years been largely symbolic. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously named Moldova among countries that are "formally members but not active within the framework." The Kremlin has also noted that the CIS has proven its usefulness for member states over many years. Moldova's attitude towards the CIS began to change after Sandu's victory in the presidential elections in 2020, as she declared a course towards integration into the European Union and refused to participate in Commonwealth summits. In February 2023, the Government of the Republic announced plans to denounce many agreements concluded within the CIS. According to the country's Foreign Ministry, internal procedures for withdrawing from 70 agreements have been completed at the moment, and 60 more are planned to be denounced. At the same time, Moldova intends to remain involved in a number of agreements related to economic relations.