Moldova has outstanding arrears of around 100,000 euros to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said. The official stated that the country should settle the debt, while procedures to withdraw from the organization are expected to be completed in 2026.
Speaking on TVR Moldova, Popsoi said the government will finalize the required formalities in the coming weeks, after which it will submit a draft decision to Parliament.
Once Parliament adopts the decision and the head of state promulgates it, the authorities will publish the documents in the Official Gazette and send official notifications to the CIS. After that, a period of about six months will follow before Moldova officially loses its CIS member status.
“If we want to respect international law and act in good faith, we should probably pay these arrears, even though for many years Moldova has not received any real benefits from its participation in the CIS, despite making payments. Until withdrawal, however, we must honor our commitments. The amount is around 100,000 euros or slightly more. It is not exorbitant, but it is still significant,” Popsoi said.
Moldovan authorities announced their intention to leave the CIS in December 2023, when they began reviewing and terminating several agreements within the organization.