VIDEO // Deputy PM in parliament says Moldova no longer part of Commonwealth of Independent States – country is becoming part of Europe, for its free future

We have the courage to sever once and for all the ties with a past that has kept us on our knees. Moldova is no longer part of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) – our country is becoming part of Europe, for our children, for our dignity and for our free future. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popsoi today made statements to this effect in parliament’s plenum.

Today MPs are examining the denunciation of the Agreement on the Establishment of the CIS, as well as Moldova’s status in this organization. The document was presented by Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popsoi.

“Today, we stand at a crossroads that can no longer be postponed. For more than three decades we have dragged behind us a heavy burden, an invisible chain that kept us tied to a past that no longer belongs to us. The CIS is an organization born from the ashes of a collapsed empire, gradually transformed into an instrument for maintaining Moscow’s influence over its neighbors. This ‘suitcase without a handle’ – as even a former president called it – has not brought us prosperity, has not defended our sovereignty, has not provided us with security. On the contrary: it has kept us captive in a grey zone, exposed us to energy, political and military blackmail,” said Mihai Popsoi.

The official noted that Moldova chooses the path of dignity, freedom and genuine prosperity – the road to the European Union.

“When Russia brutally violated the basic principles of the CIS – territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders – by invading Ukraine, our neighbor, the organization remained silent. When the Transnistrian region remains a Russian military enclave on our soil, the CIS has stayed mute. When propaganda and dirty money tried to destabilize our young democracy, the CIS was not a shield – it was a convenient alibi for those who want to keep us weak and divided. But we are no longer the same people we once were. We have learned the harsh lesson of history. We have chosen the path of dignity, of freedom, and of genuine prosperity – the road to the European Union, the legitimate aspiration of our people, enshrined in the referendum on the country’s accession to the great European family,” the minister emphasized.

Mihai Popsoi underlined that leaving the CIS was not an act of revenge, but an act of liberation.

“It is the breaking of the last thread that keeps us anchored in a toxic, bitter past. It is the clear statement: the Republic of Moldova is a sovereign, independent and European state – not a piece on someone’s chessboard! Yes, there will be voices saying that we are losing something. But what are we really losing? Useless fees of over 3 million annually? Protocol meetings without substance? An organization that exists only on paper and has never protected our national interests? Instead, we gain something infinitely more precious: strategic clarity, reliability in the eyes of our European partners, respect for our own sovereignty and a strong signal to our young people that their future is at home, in Europe, not in waiting for empty promises from the East,” the deputy prime minister added.

The Moldovan diplomacy head urged citizens to carry out this step with their heads held high and with great confidence.

“Future generations will thank us for having the courage to cut once and for all the ties with a past that has kept us on our knees. Moldova is no longer part of the CIS. Moldova is becoming part of Europe! For our children. For our dignity. For our free future! Leaving the CIS is a tribute to the veterans of the war on the Dniester and to the hero of Ukraine born in Chisinau – Oleksandr Matsyievskyi. Long live the Republic of Moldova!” Mihai Popsoi said.

The parliament today is to denounce the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as Moldova’s status in this organization. The draft laws are being examined in first reading.

In the last two years, the country has initiated a broad process of examining the relevance and applicability of the treaties concluded within the CIS. So far, out of 283 CIS agreements, 71 have already been denounced and approximately 60 are under review.