Moldovan parliament set to withdraw from every CIS defense agreement

CHISINAU. Oct 5 (Interfax) - The Moldovan parliament is set to withdraw from every defense agreement signed in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and from now on will enter into such agreements exclusively with EU member states, head of the Moldovan Parliament Commission on Foreign Policy and European Integration Doina Gherman said on Thursday.

"These agreements have never worked, as Moldova said initially when it joined the CIS that it would take no part in the discussions and cooperation in political and military affairs, as well as defense and security," Gherman said in parliament.

"We are withdrawing from three CIS defense agreements today. [...] From now on, we will enter into security and defense agreements exclusively with EU member states, which are part of the free and right world," she said.

Motions for withdrawing from the CIS agreement on strategic armed forces, the CIS joint advisory disarmament commission, and the statute of the Joint Nuclear Research Institute were put on the Moldovan parliament's agenda.

In late September, the Moldovan government approved the withdrawal from 13 CIS agreements due to them being obsolete, irrelevant and at odds with Moldova's current foreign political course. The decision will take affect after the parliament endorses the relevant bills.

In February, Foreign and European Integration Minister Nicu Popescu said Moldova was starting the process of withdrawing from several dozen agreements within the CIS. The country is a party to approximately 330 CIS agreements, many of which need revision, he said.

While considering Moldova's withdrawal from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in July, Moldovan Parliament Speaker, leader of the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity Igor Grosu said, "the republic should distance itself from the CIS in order to boost the process of integration into the European Union."

The Moldovan parliament withdrew from over 20 CIS agreements during the spring and summer session.