12 November 2025, Chișinău – Today, during a meeting of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, the denunciation of seven agreements previously signed with the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was approved.

Among these is the Agreement on Visa-Free Travel for CIS Citizens, signed in Bishkek in 1992. Renouncing this agreement will not significantly change the current travel regime, as the Republic of Moldova has concluded bilateral agreements with most CIS states. The denunciation will have a direct effect only with the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, countries with which no such bilateral agreements exist. Thus, citizens of the Republic of Moldova will still be able to travel visa-free to most CIS countries.

The European Commission has recommended that our country adjust its visa policy in line with the EU list of third countries requiring visas, particularly those that present risks in terms of illegal migration or security for the EU. Therefore, the decision to denounce the Visa-Free Travel Agreement is considered inevitable, and ignoring EU reports could pose risks negatively impacting the harmonization process.

It is noteworthy that between 1999 and 2001, the Bishkek Agreement of 1992 was denounced by Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

Additionally, at the Government meeting on 12 November, the denunciation of other agreements that have lost relevance was also decided. These concern cooperation in areas such as:

• Cooperation in the field of chemistry and petrochemistry;
• Use of compressed natural gas as fuel for motor vehicles;
• Collaboration in ecology and environmental protection;
• Principles and procedures for carrying out military transport;
• Principles for the collection of indirect taxes on the export and import of goods (works, services);
• Measures to ensure the settlement of payments between economic organizations of CIS member states.

Cooperation in the aforementioned areas no longer aligns with the objectives of modernization, digitalization, and greening of the national economy, nor with current technical standards. The decision to denounce these agreements was also driven by their loss of relevance in relation to the new strategic orientations of the Republic of Moldova, the national goal of European integration, and commitments undertaken through the Sustainable Development Goals.

It is noted that the decision-making process fully complied with the procedures established by Law No. 595/1999 on International Treaties of the Republic of Moldova.

To date, the Republic of Moldova has denounced 64 CIS treaties as part of a continuous process of aligning national policies and modernizing the legislative and economic framework of the country to EU standards and norms.