Moldovan govt to denounce another three CIS agreements

CHISINAU. July 12 (Interfax) - Moldova will withdraw from another three agreements in the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with the Moldovan government approving the corresponding bills on Wednesday.

The government has approved a bill to withdraw from the agreement on supporting and developing small businesses in CIS member states dated January 17, 1997. It said the agreement would be terminated because Moldova had been harmonizing national laws with European ones in line with requirements of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and EU candidate status, and certain provisions of the CIS agreement could be an impediment to this.

It also approved a bill to withdraw from the CIS agreement on cooperation in establishing a common (joint) education area dated January 17, 1997. Moldovan Education Minister Anatolie Topala said that Moldova had bilateral education agreements with CIS members, so no harm would be done to education by the agreement's termination.

The focus on European integration "makes participation in CIS projects and commitments irrelevant," the government said.

The government also authorized the withdrawal from the CIS agreement on preferential deliveries of special hardware and other equipment to border forces dated September 9, 1994. "Given that Moldova does not share a border with other CIS states, the participation of the corresponding Moldovan authorities in CIS activity providing border security has been limited," the government said in an explanatory note to the bill.

Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu said in February that Moldova would begin withdrawing from several dozen CIS agreements. He said Moldova had signed around 330 CIS agreements, and many of them required revision. The Moldovan parliament decided in May to quit the agreement on establishing the Mir interstate television and radio company.

During the same month, the Moldovan government withdrew from two CIS agreements, those on exchanging information on protecting the CIS external border dated April 12, 1996, and on the general terms for supplying goods between entities of CIS member states dated March 20, 1992.

Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu announced the decision to initiate Moldova's withdrawal from the agreement on the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.