Moldova's ex-president warns of aggravated economic situation if nation withdraws from CIS

Moldova's former President Igor Dodon, on Monday, stated that Moldova's departure from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose organisation of former Soviet republics, would exacerbate the country's economic situation, reported Russia's Sputnik news.

Moldova's President Maia Sandu previously expressed that the Eurasian direction and integration with the CIS do not lead to proper development for the country. She also revealed intentions for Moldova to join the European Union by 2030.

"Wise guys from the PAS (the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity) want to leave the CIS, cancel many agreements within the Commonwealth, join Western sanctions against Russia. This will further aggravate the economic situation in our country, which means that Maia Sandu will travel around the world cap in hand even more zealously, while the Americans and Europeans will continue to impose their political conditions on us," Dodon told the Chisinau N4 TV channel.

He said Moldova needs to co-operate with both the EU and Russia. "We are not in a situation to isolate ourselves from one side or the other. We, as a country, will not survive this way," the ex-president said.

Over the past year, Moldova has disregarded meetings of the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), in which it participates as an observer. According to Sputnik, a poll published in mid-March revealed that a majority of Moldovan residents support economic, political, and cultural relations with Russia. The survey also indicated that more than half of the citizens oppose Moldova's departure from the CIS and that many are discontent with the standard of living and hold the country's leadership accountable for the increased prices of gas and electricity.

Moldova mulls CIS exit

According to Moldova's Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu, Moldova is no longer an active member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and is contemplating leaving the organisation. In January this year, Popescu mentioned that each ministry and agency in Moldova is presently scrutinising the impact of the agreements made within the CIS to determine whether or not to exit.

Popescu added that the CIS is losing its significance for Moldova due to Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. However, Moldova's Agriculture Minister Vladimir Bolea stated that a potential departure from the CIS could pose difficulties for Moldova's economy as most of the country's apple exports, 69%, go to CIS member states such as Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia.

On the other hand, Moldova's President, Maia Sandu, has previously stated that the country is not considering withdrawing from the CIS for the time being as the organisation provides economic advantages beyond Russia's co-operation. Instead, Moldova aims to join the European Union by 2030.

The CIS is an intergovernmental organization comprising 12 member states that emerged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Its member states are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.