Moldova drops three CIS agreements after final parliamentary vote
On December 12, Parliament finalized the repeal of several agreements signed by the Republic of Moldova within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). These agreements included the visa-free travel arrangement for CIS citizens, the agreement on indirect taxes for exports and imports among member states, and the document concerning payments between economic organizations in those countries.
The drafts were adopted without amendments, after being examined in the first reading on November 27, 2025. The authors of the legislative initiatives claim that the provisions of the three agreements do not correspond to reality.
During the debates, the deputy of the "Alternative" faction and member of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Policy and European Integration, Ion Chicu, asked whether the denunciation of one of the three agreements - the one on measures to ensure the improvement of payments between economic organizations of the CIS member states, concluded in Tashkent on May 15, 1992 - would not create problems for economic agents.
"I requested information whether the denunciation of this agreement could affect economic agents from the Republic of Moldova who delivered goods or provided services in the CIS states and who have not yet received their payments," said the deputy.
“According to the information presented by the Ministry of Finance, the denunciation of this agreement will not have an impact on ongoing financial commitments and does not affect existing claims”, replied the vice-chairman of the same parliamentary committee, Adrian Băluțel.
The authors of the project claim that the provisions of this agreement are incompatible with the Republic of Moldova's current financial system and aligned with the standards of the IMF and the European Union.
“Given the developments in the economic and external context for our country, including the national strategic objective of European integration, we conclude that this agreement is no longer applicable, and the opportunity for the Republic of Moldova to maintain its status as a member state is considered exhausted”, the note accompanying the legislative initiative states.
The draft law on denouncing the agreement concluded in Tashkent was supported in the second reading by 61 deputies.
Subsequently, the Parliament adopted, by a vote of 59 deputies, the draft law on denouncing the agreement on visa-free travel for citizens of the CIS states on the territory of the member states.
The authorities argue that this agreement cannot be maintained in the context of the European path of the Republic of Moldova, as it does not align with the European Union's visa policy.
"Maintaining a liberal regime of entry into the Republic of Moldova for citizens of states on the EU list that require a visa generates increased risks for national security and for migration management", the explanatory note of the project states.
After the denunciation of the treaty, only citizens of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will need a visa to enter the Republic of Moldova, as there are no bilateral agreements on the abolition of visas with these states.
Also with 59 votes, the draft law on the denunciation of the 1998 agreement on the collection of indirect taxes in trade between the CIS participating states was approved in the second reading.
The denunciation of this Agreement is motivated by the fact that the Fiscal Code and the new National Customs Code already cover its provisions.
"Lack of applicability, moral obsolescence and inconsistency with current realities have generated the intention of the authorities to denounce the agreement in question," the authors of the initiative mention.
According to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since 1994, the Republic of Moldova has signed 283 agreements within the CIS, of which 67 have already been denounced.
