CHISINAU, January 20. /TASS/. Moldova will need more than a year to complete its withdrawal procedure from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) after the decision is endorsed by the government and approved by parliament, the Newsmaker portal reported, citing the country’s foreign ministry.

"The resolution on quitting the CIS will enter into force 12 months after an official notification by the Moldovan foreign ministry," it said.

According to the ministry, the country’s leadership has decided to denounce the key foundational agreements, including the CIS Charter signed in Minsk on January 22, 1993, the CIS Establishment Agreement of December 8, 1991, and the additional protocol to the founding agreement dated December 21, 1991.

Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said earlier that he expected the government to complete the denunciation procedures by mid-February. After that, the draft document will be submitted to parliament, which is controlled by the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity.

Moldova’s stance on its CIS membership changed after Maia Sandu won the presidential election in 2020 and set a course toward integration into the European Union. Since then, she has skipped CIS summits. In February 2023, the country’s government announced plans to denounce 120 out of 282 CIS agreements. However, Popsoi said that Chisinau would not denounce agreements that are beneficial for the country.

This policy was slammed by former President Igor Dodon, who leads the opposition Party of Socialists. According to Dodon, Sandu’s course toward severing ties with Russia and CIS countries runs counter to the interests of the Moldovan people. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also criticized Chisinau’s policy as duplicitous, noting that Moldova’s authorities are not rushing to forgo the socio-economic advantages of CIS membership, despite their anti-CIS rhetoric.