MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Moscow expects that Moldova will remain a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and resume participation in the activities of its bodies, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second CIS Department Alexey Polishchuk said in an interview with TASS.
"Chisinau clearly comprehends the real socio-economic benefits of CIS membership," he pointed out. "This is why the country’s leaders are talking about the need to pursue a pragmatic approach, taking hundreds of CIS agreements into account. We hope that this approach will prevail and Moldova will remain a CIS member for the sake of its people and will also resume participation in the activities of the organization’s bodies," the diplomat emphasized.
Polishchuk noted that it was about visa waivers and free trade agreements, as well as about labor, social and other preferences for labor migrants. "Besides, it is impossible to ignore the fact that CIS countries account for about 25% of Moldova’s trade," he pointed out.
The Russian diplomat stressed that the authorities in Chisinau had actually suspended their activities within the CIS, declining to participate in meetings of the organization’s bodies. "Significantly, Moldova’s Comrat, the capital of the Gagauzia region, was chosen to become the cultural capital of the CIS in 2023 but unfortunately, the Moldovan leadership abandoned the idea in late 2022," he said.
According to Polishchuk, rumors about Moldova’s possible withdrawal from the CIS began after pro-Western politicians had taken power in the country. "However, the Moldovan leadership has so far taken no practical steps in this direction," he added.