Ex-president opposes Moldova's possible withdrawal from CIS

Former Moldovan President and Communist Party Chairman Vladimir Voronin has described as a crime the possible withdrawal of Chisinau from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which the country's leadership is discussing after obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership.

"I am categorically against it and I have arguments. This will be the biggest mistake and crime," TASS quotes Voronin as saying in an interview with Moldovan TV channel N4.

Voronin recalled that Moldova has a good experience of fruitful cooperation with the EU and the CIS. He also drew attention to the fact that earlier the republic successfully used Russian markets and raw materials from the Russian Federation, as well as financial resources of Western countries.

Earlier, another Moldovan ex-president, Igor Dodon, warned the country against leaving the CIS. In his opinion, Moldova will not become a member of the EU in the coming decades, despite the candidate status it has received.

The head of the CIS Executive Committee Sergei Lebedev also expressed hope that Moldova will maintain cooperation with the CIS, despite the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union (EU).