Parliament votes for Moldova’s definitive withdrawal from Commonwealth of Independent States

The parliament today approved, in second reading, the denunciation of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as the organization’s Protocol and Statute, thus marking the definitive withdrawal of Moldova from the statutory bodies of the CIS.

The decision comes at an initiative by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which says that the CIS’s core values and principles are no longer respected, particularly with regard to territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. The authorities refer to the actions of the Russian Federation in the region, including the war against Ukraine and the illegal military presence on the territory of Moldova.

The report on the draft was presented in plenum by the head foreign policy commission, Adrian Balutel, who specified that the initiative had been examined and approved in first reading at the meeting on March 20, 2026, and that no proposals or objections were submitted to the committee.

“Mr. President, dear colleagues! The Foreign Policy Commission has examined this draft law. The draft was approved in the first reading, and no proposals or objections were registered during the procedure. Based on the regulatory provisions, the commission proposes the approval in second reading of the draft law on the denunciation of the CIS founding agreement and the related protocol,” Balutel said.

The document was supported by the majority of MPs, thus approving Moldova’s withdrawal from the core structures of the CIS.

The authorities say that this decision is a natural step in the context of the country’s European path and its goal of joining the European Union.

The Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS was signed in December 1991 by 11 former Soviet states, including Moldova, with the role of confirming the end of the USSR’s existence and creating a framework for regional cooperation.

Following the denunciation, Moldova will save around 3.1 million lei annually, an amount that had been directed to the CIS budget. Relations with member states will continue on bilateral and multilateral bases, and the country will stay party to some agreements, particularly in the economic and social fields.

So far, Moldova has denounced approximately 70 agreements with the CIS, as part of the process of harmonizing legislation and aligning with European Union standards.