Moldova no longer pay membership fees to CIS

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.