Moldova denounces CIS visa-free travel agreement: Russia not affected
Moldova’s move to denounce the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Agreement on visa-free travel will not impact the current travel regime with the Russian Federation, due to a separate, existing bilateral agreement.
This clarification came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Chișinău.
The MFA specified that the changes will only affect travel arrangements with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, as similar bilateral agreements are not in place with these two nations.
The government intends to denounce the CIS visa-free travel agreement, an accord for citizens of member states, which was originally concluded in Bishkek in October 1992 (Bishkek Agreement).
The Cabinet of Ministers is scheduled to approve the denunciation at its meeting on November 12. Following the Executive's decision, the initiative will be sent to Parliament for final approval.
Furthermore, next week, the Republic of Moldova is set to withdraw from several other CIS agreements, including those on cooperation in chemistry, petrochemistry, ecology, and the use of compressed natural gases.
Moldova, a founding member of the CIS following the collapse of the USSR, is now actively pursuing European Union accession. Over the past three years, the nation has denounced dozens of agreements within the CIS—an organization largely dominated by the Russian Federation.
In 2024, the Parliament voted for the country's withdrawal from the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. Authorities in Chișinău have announced a gradual pullout from the entire CIS structure, citing the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
