CHISINAU, September 11. /TASS/. Speaker of Moldova’s parliament Igor Grosu has called for severing ties with the commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

"Moldova should drop the idea of being a bridge between the West and the East, between the European Union and the CIS. Two years ago, we chose to go the way of European integration. This is our path. This is not about the party, this is a historic moment for society. For 30 years, we indulged in various concepts about being a bridge between the West and the East, of having relations with both the EU and the CIS. For 30 years, we have been experimenting. Let us stop experimenting on ourselves, this is useless," he said in an interview with the Romania-funded TVR-Moldova television channel.

This year, Moldova has denounced more than ten agreements it signed within the CIS.

Moldova’s attitude to the CIS began to change in 2020 when Maia Sandu became president of the country and Grosu’s Party of Action and Solidarity came to power in 2021. Notably, Sandu has not attended any of the CIS’ summits. The anti-CIS rhetoric has only increased this year, with Foreign Minister Nicolae Popescu announcing the denunciation of a number of CIS agreements he describes as no longer relevant. Meanwhile, Moldova’s former President and leader of the Party of Socialists Igor Dodon said that after power changes hands, all the agreements with the CIS that have been illegitimately terminated by the ruling party will be resumed.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has slammed Chisinau’s policy as janus-faced. She noted that while declaring their plans to withdraw from the CIS the Moldovan authorities are in no hurry to give up the socio-economic advantages they receive from being members of the CIS.