Moldovan govt approves withdrawal from CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly
CHISINAU. June 28 (Interfax) - The Moldovan government approved a bill denouncing the Convention on the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at a meeting on Wednesday.
"The CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly defines the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, the monitoring of the development of democracy and electoral rights, and the containment of security threats and challenges as its core activity," the bill's explanatory note says. "But it is obvious that these tasks cannot be fulfilled in the current regional context, created by the conflict in Ukraine, because of the opposite viewpoint of certain Assembly members on such matters," it said.
"An analysis of the political impact of the Convention's denouncement at the domestic, bilateral, regional and multilateral levels did not reveal any negative implications. It did not reveal any fallout for relations with other parties to the treaty and third parties, either," the document said.
The note says that the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly has not been of any help to Moldova in resolving actual problems (for instance, settling the Transdniestrian conflict).
"Therefore, given the bilateral inter-parliamentary relations between Moldova and CIS members, including those via friendship groups, the inexpediency of further membership of the Republic of Moldova in the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly is underscored," it said.
The Moldovan government also approved a bill terminating the CIS agreement on cooperation in preventing and mitigating emergencies.
Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said on Tuesday that a decision on Moldova's withdrawal from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly would be made within a month. Speaking about Moldova's withdrawal from other agreements and breaking off relations with the CIS, he said, "the government and the Foreign Ministry are analyzing the entire legislative base [and] every agreement ever signed by Moldova in the CIS."
Grosu said in mid-May it had been decided to initiate Moldova's withdrawal from the Agreement on the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.
"It has become obvious that 30 years of Moldova's membership in CIS bodies have not helped us settle the Transdniestrian conflict, ensure the Russian army's withdrawal from our country, or prevent painful economic embargos imposed on our wine and agricultural products at the most difficult times. It did not spare us the hostile threats and comments on the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, either," Grosu said.
Moldova withdrew its permanent representative from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in February.
At the time, Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Eurasian Integration Nicu Popescu said that Moldova was beginning its withdrawal from several dozen CIS agreements. He said that many CIS agreements, out of approximately 330 which Moldova is a party to, required revision.
The Moldovan parliament made a final decision on withdrawing from the agreement on the Mir inter-state television and radio company in May.