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Moldova can combine European orientation with CIS membership — CIS head

Most of the Commonwealth countries are in favor of preserving Moldova's membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States and of preserving cooperation, Sergey Lebedev said

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. The member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) believe that Moldova can combine a European orientation in the development of its international relations while still maintaining its membership in the CIS, Sergey Lebedev, the secretary general of the CIS, told TASS in an interview.

"As for the European orientation in the development of Moldova's international relations, many leaders of the Commonwealth and, in particular, of the Russian Federation have said that one does not necessarily preclude the other. Why must movement toward Europe necessarily be accompanied by, let’s say, the termination of agreements and contracts, or the curtailment of cooperation with the CIS countries? One should not interfere with the other. It is possible develop one while preserving the other," he said.

"Therefore, most of the Commonwealth countries are in favor of preserving Moldova's membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States and of preserving cooperation," Lebedev added.

Moldova's position on the CIS began to change after the victory in the 2020 presidential election of Maia Sandu, who has never attended a CIS summit. This year, official Chisinau’s rhetoric toward the CIS has become even more strident, with Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Nicu Popescu, declaring that the government saw no practical need for the country to stay in the organization and announcing that the process of withdrawing from several agreements signed within the CIS had begun. Not only does the opposition disagree with this position, but also some members of the government itself, which was formed by the ruling party. Thus, Minister of Agriculture and the Food Industry, Vladimir Bolya, said that the withdrawal of Moldova from the CIS, to which it exports a large part of its agricultural output, would prove to be another problem for Moldovan farmers, who are already experiencing a severe crisis. The minister believes that any decision on the issue of CIS membership should be the prerogative of the Moldovan people.

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