January 12 (SeeNews) - Moldova is not an active member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) anymore and is considering leaving the organisation, foreign minister Nicu Popescu said.
"Practically, Moldova does not participate in the meetings of this organization and very clearly expresses its disagreement in relation to Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Each ministry and agency in Moldova is now analyzing the impact of the agreements signed within the CIS in order to decide whether to exit or not," Popescu said on Monday evening during a talk-show on TV8.
The organization is becoming less and less relevant for Moldova, he added. In June, Popescu said that Moldova is considering whether to remain a member of the organisation amid Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Moldova's agriculture minister Vladimir Bolea said that a potential exit from CIS could pose problems for the Moldovan economy, as for example, 69% of the country's apple exports go to CIS member states, particularly Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia. "The CIS does not belong to the Russian Federation, the decision to exit must belong to the people of Moldova, it must not be a decision made strictly on the basis of politics or on emotions," Bolea said during a talk-show on Realitatea Moldova TV.
At the end of May, president Maia Sandu announced that Moldova is not considering a withdrawal of its membership in the CIS for the time being. "Let's speak impartially: the CIS is not only Russia but also other countries. Chisinau enjoys trade and economic benefits not only from its relations with Russia but also from cooperating with other countries," Sandu said at the time.
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Its member states are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
In June, the European Council decided to grant EU candidate status to Moldova and Ukraine. Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia applied for EU membership in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine launched in February. President Sandu said in December that the country aims to join the European Union by 2030.
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