Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow did not find Chisinau’s announcement on Moldova’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States unexpected.
Peskov stated that Moldova had effectively frozen its participation in the CIS for a long time and that Russian authorities expected the country to formalize its exit sooner or later.
“This statement did not come as a surprise. Moldova had frozen its participation in the CIS for quite some time. In practice, Moldova did not take part in the work of the Commonwealth. It was clear that this frozen status would eventually become official. We can only express regret over this,” Peskov said. He added that Moscow regrets what it sees as Moldova’s continued distancing from relations with Russia.
On January 19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chisinau announced the start of procedures for Moldova’s complete withdrawal from the CIS, including the denunciation of the founding agreements and the organization’s charter.
In Moldova, the decision has sparked criticism from the Socialists. The PSRM leader Igor Dodon, who maintains close ties with the Russian administration, said he believes future authorities could restore the CIS agreements denounced by the current government.