MOLDPRES: Moldova Parliament prepares to denounce new agreement signed on CIS platform

Originally published by Moldpres

The parliamentary committee on foreign policy and European integration will propose that the Moldovan parliament denounce the Agreement on the Creation of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as part of the process of the Republic of Moldova’s withdrawal from several CIS cooperation mechanisms.

The initiative was put forward by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Moldova, which argues that the agreement has not proven effective and has not brought benefits to the Republic of Moldova.

The document, signed in 2006, provided for the creation of the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of CIS member states, intended to finance joint projects in areas such as culture, education, science, sports, tourism, mass media, and youth policy. According to the authorities, since the ratification of the agreement, the Republic of Moldova has not made payments and has not carried out financial activities within the fund.

The Ministry of Culture argues that the Republic of Moldova is currently orienting its international cooperation toward partnerships relevant to the process of accession to the European Union, including the “Horizon Europe” and “Creative Europe” programmes. According to the institution, these platforms offer more advantageous cooperation opportunities in the fields of culture, tourism, youth, sports, and science than those carried out within the CIS.

The authorities of Moldova note that the denunciation of the agreement is part of the process of reviewing treaties signed on the CIS platform and of efforts to align national policies with European standards and norms.