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| Moldova confirms gradual and selective withdrawal from CIS agreements |
| 2023-05-20 |
| [MSN] Moldova is in the process of terminating some agreements signed under the umbrella of the Russia-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration confirmed on April 20. In February, Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu announced that the government is reviewing the dozens of agreements signed under the CIS umbrella and will scrap those that do not serve the country’s interests. For instance, the Moldovan government approved a bill this week on withdrawing from the agreement on international legal guarantees for the work of the TV and radio company Mir. The confirmation comes in response to a statement by CIS secretary general Serghei Lebedev who claimed that Moldova is not taking steps to pull out of the organisation. "Frankly speaking, I am pleased and satisfied that so far no concrete measures have been taken regarding Moldova's withdrawal from the CIS. As far as the denunciation of some agreements and contracts is concerned, we cannot yet cite facts," said Lebed. Popescu stressed that many CIS-related agreements will be rejected on the grounds that they are no longer relevant, non-functional or are to Moldova's detriment. Now the objectives of Moldova's foreign policy, according to Popescu, are aligned with the European integration process and, as a priority, the agreements incompatible with Chisinau's foreign policy priorities will be denounced. While not imposing sanctions on Russia, Moldova has become increasingly oriented towards the EU since the election of President Maia Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). After Moldova secured EU candidate status in summer 2022, Sandu also hinted Chisinau may lift its military neutrality and seek membership of Nato, which has angered Russian officials. Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence warned Moldovan officials earlier this year that Russia is planning to destabilise Moldova, and several Russian nationals, including the head of the Tatarstan Republic, have been denied entry to Moldova. Related: Moldova: 2023-05-19 Why Western democracy is not suitable for Russia Moldova: 2023-05-10 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 9th, 2023 Moldova: 2023-05-09 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: May 8th, 2023 Related: Commonwealth of Independent States: 2023-04-01 New concept of Russian foreign policy Commonwealth of Independent States: 2023-01-03 Russian Gas Exports Outside Ex-Soviet States Fell 45.5% in 2022, but ready to supply AfPak Commonwealth of Independent States: 2021-10-25 Review: I am not a terrorist. The story of my death |
| Posted by:Enver Slager8035 |
| #1 News is from April. Was looking for an article stating Moldova is leaving the CIS and plans to join the EU. This article is from Friday: MoldovaIs Distancing Itself From The CIS, But Leaving Might Not Be So Easy On May 15, the speaker of the Moldovan parliament, Igor Grosu, announced that Moldova will initiate its withdrawal from the CIS's Interparliamentary Assembly, which facilitates cooperation among member parliaments and, according to the organization's website, "serves as a guide in the development and convergence of legislation of the countries of the community." This, Grosu said, was "a first step" for Moldova's withdrawal from the CIS. "We can no longer sit at a negotiating table with an aggressor state," he said, alluding to Russia's war on Ukraine. Chisinau has been distancing itself from the CIS for a while, with Grosu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) believing that cutting ties with the organization would enable Moldova to work toward aligning its policies with the European Union, before eventually joining the bloc. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-05-20 00:22 |