Government opts out new agreements with CIS due to unproductive documents
The Republic of Moldova will withdraw from further agreements concluded within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on healthcare cooperation, the development of telemedicine services, and the exchange of drug samples between authorities. The Government has approved the denunciation of these documents, citing that they have failed to yield practical results or have not been utilized by state institutions.
Two of the agreements concern the healthcare sector. These are the Memorandum of Cooperation on the creation of compatible national telemedicine diagnostic and consultative systems, signed on November 14, 2008, and the Agreement on the creation, development, and use of compatible national telemedicine systems, concluded on November 19, 2010.
"The reason for the denunciation is the lack of practical results. Since the memoranda entered into force, no joint projects have been reported," stated Minister of Health Alexandru Gasnaș during the Government meeting on October 28.
The executive branch also approved denouncing an agreement, signed in 2011, that regulates the transfer of drug samples and other controlled substances.
"Throughout these years, this agreement has not been utilized by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova. Meanwhile, international cooperation in combating drug trafficking is carried out through other mechanisms that better address current needs," stated Minister of Internal Affairs Daniella Misail-Nichitin.
According to the Minister, denouncing this document is part of a broader process of reviewing agreements concluded within the framework of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).
In 2023, the Republic of Moldova began the process of reviewing and denouncing agreements concluded within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Since then, authorities have withdrawn from dozens of documents deemed outdated or of little practical value. An important step was taken in the spring of 2026, when Parliament approved the denunciation of the CIS’s foundational agreements, including the treaty establishing the organization and its charter.
The formal withdrawal will take effect after a 12-month notification period expires, expected in the spring of 2027. The authorities in Chișinău justify this decision by citing Russia’s violation of the organization’s core principles, as well as the Republic of Moldova’s European orientation.
However, withdrawing from the CIS does not entail the cessation of relations with its member states. Cooperation may continue through bilateral agreements, and the authorities note that economic arrangements that benefit the Republic of Moldova may be maintained.
