CHISINAU, January 20. /TASS/. President Maia Sandu and her ruling Action and Solidarity Party are imposing a false choice on Moldova between the CIS and the European Union, Marina Tauber, executive secretary of the Victory opposition bloc, said commenting on the decision on the country's withdrawal from the CIS.

"The senile government is finally withdrawing Moldova from the CIS. No discussion. Without explanation. Without people's opinions. We are being confronted with a fact again. They are hiding behind the ‘European course’ and burning bridges. The question arises: does the status of an EU candidate prohibit any other formats of international cooperation?" Tauber wrote on Telegram. "The CIS is not about slogans, but about concrete agreements and real money in the economy. These are employment, exports, recognition of documents, logistics, markets, humanitarian and social projects. To break these relations is to hit thousands of fates: farmers, entrepreneurs, migrant workers and their families."

Moldova's attitude towards the CIS began to change after Sandu's victory in the presidential elections in 2020. Sandu declared a course towards integration into the European Union and refused to participate in the CIS summits. In February 2023, the government announced plans to denounce over 120 of the 282 agreements signed within the CIS. Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popsoy said Chisinau does not intend to denounce important and useful agreements.