Georgian Foreign Ministry issues information on country's withdrawal from CIS

In August 2008, Russia - a CIS member state unleashed against Georgia - also a CIS member state military aggression, carried out occupation of the inalienable parts of the Georgian territory, ethnic cleansing and recognition of the so-called ‘independence' of the proxy regimes set up by Russia on the occupied territories. Accent should be put on the involvement of Russian military detachments acting under the cover of the CIS collective peacekeeping forces in the preparation and implementation of military aggression against Georgia.

Based on the foregoing, Georgia made a decision to withdraw from CIS.

On 14 August 2008 the parliament of Georgia made decisions envisaging Georgia's withdrawal from the treaty on setting up the Commonwealth of Independent States of 8 December 1991, the charter approved by decision of the CIS heads of states on 22 January 1993 and the agreement on economic cooperation of 24 September, 1993.

On 18 August 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia sent a note to the CIS Executive Committee notifying it of the Georgian Parliament's aforesaid decisions and Georgia's withdrawal from CIS.

In accordance with Article 9 of the CIS Charter, termination of CIS membership takes effect 12 months after the receipt of a respective written notification. Therefore, the formal procedure of Georgia's withdrawal from CIS became due on 18 August 2009.

At the same time, in accordance with the Vienna 1969 Convention on the Law of Treaties, Georgia remains part of the 75 multilateral agreements  the participation in which is not conditional on CIS membership, including the agreement on visa-free movement of nationals of the CIS member states, agreement on the creation of free trade zone, convention on mutual legal assistance in civil, family and criminal matters, etc.

Georgia reaffirms its readiness to develop its bilateral relations with CIS member states on the basis of the principles of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation, the universally recognized norms and principles of international law, respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and non-interference in internal affairs of States.