By Alimat Aliyeva
The Moldovan authorities have announced that they do not intend
to pay membership fees to the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) in 2025, Azernews reports.
“In 2025, Moldova will allocate about 54 million lei
(approximately 2.9 million US dollars) for membership in
international, regional, and parliamentary organizations. This is
2.5 million lei (about 134 thousand US dollars) less than in 2024.
These amounts do not include membership fees and expenses within
the CIS,” the report states.
The Ministry of Finance of Moldova has prepared a draft payment
proposal in line with the budget law. The majority of the funds
will be allocated to the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and
the UNDP.
It should be noted that since 2022, the Moldovan authorities
have discussed the need to withdraw from several agreements within
the CIS. Chisinau plans to review these agreements, annul those
deemed ineffective, and replace them with bilateral agreements with
individual CIS member states.
This move signals Moldova’s ongoing shift towards strengthening
its ties with the West and distancing itself from post-Soviet
structures, such as the CIS. Moldova has increasingly sought closer
integration with the European Union, and this decision reflects its
desire to focus on organizations that align more closely with its
European and democratic aspirations.
The decision not to contribute to the CIS in 2025 could further
isolate Moldova from the influence of Russia, especially as the
country has been actively pursuing reforms and closer cooperation
with Western institutions. However, this also presents challenges,
as Moldova still shares close historical, economic, and cultural
ties with several CIS member states, which may impact trade,
security cooperation, and regional diplomacy.
As Moldova moves forward, balancing its relationships with both
the EU and its neighboring countries, especially Russia, will
remain a key challenge in its foreign policy.