Moldova in Eastern Europe has initiated the legal process for withdrawing from the Commonwealth of Independent States

The government of Moldova, an inland country in Eastern Europe, has initiated procedures to dismantle several agreements that formed the legal basis for its membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Xinhua News Agency reported that Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said on a national radio program on Monday (January 19th) that the government is currently reviewing the abolition of three key documents and plans to submit them for consideration by the new parliament. This move will legally terminate Moldova's status as a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CSI, short for CIS).

The Moldovan side pointed out that this move is regarded as an important step for Moldova to participate in the European integration process.

Moldova is actively seeking to join the European Union. It was granted candidate country status in 2022 and launched accession negotiations in June 2024, demonstrating its strong desire to integrate into European integration.

The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional political and economic cooperation organization established in December 1991 by some former Soviet republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Its aim is to coordinate affairs in economic, political, military and other fields. Its headquarters is located in Minsk, Belarus, and the working language is Russian. The goal is to promote the sovereign equality and cooperation among member states. The Commonwealth of Independent States was initiated by Russia, Belarus and Ukraine through the signing of the "Belovezhskaya Accords", and subsequently 11 republics joined. Georgia withdrew in 2008, and on May 15, 2024, Ukrainian President Zelensky signed an order to approve multiple decisions for Ukraine's withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Commonwealth of Independent States currently has nine member states, namely Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Moldova.