In practice, the Republic of Moldova no longer participates in the activities of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS); however, the legal termination of its membership will take effect after the official notification to the CIS and the expiration of the 12-month period.
Regarding Moldova’s debt to the CIS, a decision on its payment has not yet been made.
Moldova’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popsoi, explained that after the publication of the Law on Denunciation of the Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS and the corresponding Protocol in the “Official Monitor,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will officially notify the CIS. Following the 12-month period established by law, the agreements will cease to be in effect.
“From a legal point of view, once the documents take effect, we notify the CIS Secretariat in Minsk. Under international law, after 12 months, our participation and any obligations to the CIS will be considered completed. Legally, we are no longer members of the organization, since in practice we have long ceased to participate and derive no benefits from it,” Popsoi noted.
On Moldova’s debt, amounting to about €100,000, he stated that a decision on payment is still pending.
“In general, it is desirable to pay off debts. But considering that we have long received no benefits from participating in the CIS, the legitimacy and usefulness of this debt can be debated. Nevertheless, from a diplomatic point of view, it is better not to leave debts when exiting the organization. Moreover, the denunciation of the Agreement will allow saving over 3 million lei annually — which will completely cover this debt several times over,” Popsoi added.
He emphasized that the decision to pay the debt is collective and does not depend solely on him, but from a legal and diplomatic perspective, it is better to maintain order so that no one can make claims against Moldova.
For context, the official representative of the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, recently stated that Moldova’s exit from the CIS requires the settlement of Chisinau’s financial obligations.