The withdrawal of Moldova from several CIS agreements will lead to international isolation and deprive it of economic opportunities, according to former Prime Minister Vlad Filat – once a staunch pro-European, now quoted by pro-Kremlin media.
NEWS: The policy of Moldovan authorities, oriented towards a unilateral external positioning, is pushing the country into international isolation and depriving it of economic opportunities, the former Prime Minister of the Republic, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), Vladimir Filat, has told Ria Novosti.
In November, the Government of Moldova approved the denunciation of seven agreements signed within the CIS. The country’s Parliament adopted in first reading the denunciation of agreements regarding visa-free travel for citizens of CIS states and regarding the principles of levying indirect taxes on the export and import of goods (works, services) between CIS states. Former president of Moldova, the leader of the Party of Socialists, Igor Dodon, said that breaking agreements with CIS countries runs counter to the national interests of the Republic and does reflect the will of the majority of Moldovan citizens. He also specified that, so far, Moldova has already terminated 64 agreements within the CIS out of 255.
“We must develop relations both with the European Union and with CIS countries. That is what we did when I was Prime Minister: we negotiated free trade with the EU and, at the same time, signed the free trade agreement with CIS countries. At that time Moldova had balance, it had normal relations both with East and West. We based our actions on one principle: that we must act in the best interest of our own citizens, not in the interest of other countries. Today, we are witnessing the opposite: decisions are taken as if our goal were to meet the expectations of external structures, not of our own people. Such foreign policy deprives the country of economic opportunities and leads to isolation”, Filat said.
According to the former Prime Minister, President Maia Sandu’s actions have led to the fact that the country has lost its own vision of development and has become the object of external geopolitical games. “The current government does not understand that, once integrated, you must not isolate yourself from your neighbors and partners. Wars are followed by peace. We must think about the future, about the free movement of citizens and goods from Lisbon to Vladivostok, not about building new walls. The inability to understand this is the cause of Moldova’s current isolation”, Vlad Filat explained.
The Moldovan official also said that, without restoring the balance of foreign policy, the country will not be able to emerge from the economic and social crisis. “We must remain a sovereign state and take decisions that reflect the interests of the Republic of Moldova. No external pressure must determine our future”, the former Prime Minister emphasized.
NARRATIVES: 1. Denouncing certain CIS agreements will leave Moldova isolated on the international stage, depriving it of major economic opportunities. 2. The Republic of Moldova is governed by external forces, serving the West’s interests.
PURPOSE: To present the denunciation of CIS agreements as a process that isolates the Republic of Moldova internationally and sabotages its economic development. To promote the idea that Chișinău authorities do not act in the national interest, but take their orders from the West. To portray the government as hostile to Russia and responsible for the deterioration of bilateral relations.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: First of all, withdrawal from certain CIS agreements, which Chișinău considers irrelevant, does not mean the Republic of Moldova will be left isolated. On the contrary, thanks to the support it offered to Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war and to its pro-European stance, the Republic of Moldova has become increasingly visible on the international stage. Evidence of that is the fact that the Republic of Moldova played host to the second Summit of the European Political Community, on June 1, 2023, attended by 45 heads of state and government, which represented a “powerful symbol”, as declared at the time by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
In July 2025, the first Moldova-EU summit took place in Chișinău, and the latest enlargement package shows that “Moldova has advanced significantly on the path to accession, successfully completing the assessment process”.
On November 12, the Government of Chișinău launched proceedings for denouncing another seven agreements within the CIS that no longer reflect the objectives of modernization, digitalization and greening of the national economy, as specified by Moldovan diplomacy. For example, withdrawing from the Agreement on visa-free travel for CIS citizens will not significantly change the current travel regime, since the Republic of Moldova has concluded bilateral agreements with most CIS states.
Russian media and pro-Russian politicians in Chișinău exaggerate the importance of CIS states for Moldova’s exports and economy. In the first nine months of 2025, the CIS share was only slightly above 6%, whereas by the end of the 1990s, 70% of Moldovan goods were bound for CIS markets. The Republic of Moldova focused increasingly on other markets, especially the EU, when Russia introduced bans on sensitive categories of Moldovan products as retaliation for signing the Free Trade Agreement with the EU.
Starting 2022, when Russia reduced the volume of gas supplied to the Republic of Moldova, the country has no longer been dependent on Moscow for energy, after being blackmailed for three decades with “Russian gas.”
It is true that in 2011, while Filat was Prime Minister, Moldova signed the Free Trade Agreement with the CIS. Russia, however, violated it just a few years later, when it introduced embargoes on Moldovan products in the context of Moldova signing a free trade agreement with the EU. Seen as a political decision, this was meant to hinder the country’s rapprochement with the European community.
There is no evidence that the West imposed on the Republic of Moldova the decision to withdraw from the CIS. For instance, the former head of the EU Delegation in Chișinău, Jānis Mažeiks, previously said that for now, the issue of Moldova’s membership in the CIS is not on the table. It is true that this topic could be discussed after the launch of accession negotiations, but choosing the EU instead of the CIS remains Chișinău ‘s sovereign option.
BACKGROUND: The Republic of Moldova is a founding member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an organization founded at the end of 1991 against the backdrop of the collapse of the former USSR and considered a lever of Moscow’s influence over former Soviet states.
The Baltic States did not join the organization, while Georgia withdrew in 2008 after the Russian invasion. Ukraine is also no longer, de facto, a CIS member, even though it has not formally completed withdrawal procedures.
Over the years, Russia imposed multiple restrictions on Moldovan products, especially after 2013, when Chișinău signed the EU Association Agreement. These were political decisions, designed to hamper the country’s EU rapprochement.
In 2022, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine secured candidate status for EU accession. After the victory of pro-European forces in Chișinău (2020–2021), but especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, relations between Chișinău and Moscow deteriorated. Moldovan authorities condemned Russia’s military aggression and subscribed to most international sanctions imposed on Russia.
Chișinău initiated procedures to withdraw from several CIS agreements it considers irrelevant. Among the most notable are the one regarding the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly and the one concerning the activity of the radio and TV company MIR. Several Russian and pro-Russian politicians criticize the decision, emphasizing the economic importance for Moldova of CIS membership, even though the share of foreign trade with member states and the country’s economic dependence on the Community’s market has decreased year by year.
Vlad Filat served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova over 2009-2013, during which time he employed a pro-European rhetoric and policies. Later, however, Filat was convicted and imprisoned for corruption and influence peddling.
