Moldova plans to leave the CIS: Chisinau has already taken the first step

Moldova will stop paying membership fees to the CIS / Collage 24 Channel

The Government of Moldova has decided to exclude the Commonwealth of Independent States from the list of organizations to which annual membership fees are paid. In addition, the country also plans to subsequently leave the CIS completely.

The Moldovan government made this decision after denouncing the country’s membership in a number of organizations within the CIS structure. In addition, this is due to banking sanctions imposed on Russia.

Moldova will not pay membership fees to the CIS

Recently, Moldovan Finance Minister Petru Rotaru signed a draft decision according to which the amount allocated for the payment of annual membership fees of the Republic of Moldova in international organizations for 2023 will be reduced. The allocated amount will be reduced by 16 million lei, from 66.5 to 50.5 million lei.

This can be explained by Moldova’s decision to no longer pay fees for its participation in the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and seven commonwealth organizations. The amount contributed by the country amounts to almost 8.2 million lei and was initially included in the first government project at the beginning of 2023. It should be noted that over the past four years the state budget has transferred almost 35 million lei for membership fees to the CIS and public organizations.

Moreover, in response to Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, the Chisinau authorities announced Moldova's systematic withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States, denouncing numerous agreements signed within the organization created in 1991 after the collapse of the USSR.

Also in July 2023, the Parliament of Moldova voted for the country’s withdrawal from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, as well as agreements regarding the creation of a single educational space, the provision of special equipment to border guards and the exchange of information on emergency situations among member states.

Moldova is fighting Russian influence

• On October 24, the Security and Information Service of Moldova decided to ban a number of Russian channels on the country’s television. In particular, it refers to 22 Russian pro-government channels.
• The websites of such Russian channels as “Russia 1”, “Russia 24”, “Channel One”, “NTV”, “TVC”, “Zvezda”, etc. were blocked. RT resources, Vesti.ru, the Smotrim.ru service, Izvestia FM and Mayak radio have also been blocked.
• It should be noted that before this, Moldova deported the head of the pro-Putin publication Sputnik Moldova, Vitaly Denisov, to Russia. He was also banned from returning.