Moldova withdraws from two more CIS treaties in favor of EU cooperation
The Republic of Moldova has denounced two additional treaties of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) through decisions made by Parliament during its plenary session on May 14. One of the agreements involves establishing the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund, while the other focuses on distributing resources from the inventory of parks formerly managed by the USSR Ministry of Communications.
The Republic of Moldova joined the Agreement on the Creation of the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund of the CIS Member States in 2014. However, in recent years, it has not benefited from this assistance, as noted by Corneliu Cirimpei, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, who pointed out the ineffectiveness of implementing the treaty's provisions.
"At the same time, the Republic of Moldova is focusing its efforts on other partnerships, particularly in the context of the European Union accession process, where cooperation in areas such as culture, tourism, youth, sports, and science is more relevant and beneficial," the official emphasized.
Moldova is involved in various European Union programs, including the Horizon Europe framework for research and innovation, the Creative Europe program, and the Council of Europe's Partially Enlarged Agreement on Cultural Routes. According to government officials, these initiatives provide broader and more consistent support than that offered by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
“Terminating the agreement will not result in any financial, economic, or other consequences. Since ratifying the agreement, the Republic of Moldova has neither made any payments nor engaged in financial activities within the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund of the CIS and has no outstanding debts to this fund,” the Secretary of State added.
Additionally, the Parliament has terminated the Agreement with the Commonwealth of Independent States and other former Soviet nations regarding the division of the inventory of freight wagons and containers from the former USSR Ministry of Communications.
The withdrawal from this agreement was proposed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, which stated that it is no longer applicable since the fleet of freight wagons and containers was divided nearly 30 years ago and the collaborative mechanisms outlined in the agreement are outdated.
“Furthermore, the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine has highlighted the risks of maintaining legal and institutional frameworks inherited from the CIS era,” the authors stated.
The cancellation of these two agreements is part of a broader effort to review treaties established under the CIS and to modernize Moldova's legislative and economic framework in alignment with European Union standards and norms.
To date, the Republic of Moldova has renounced approximately 70 agreements with the CIS. Among the most significant treaties revoked are the one establishing the CIS and the one concerning the Statute of the Community, from which the country withdrew following a parliamentary decision on April 2 of this year.
