Ukraine finally quits CIS coordination bodies

Ukraine has completed the process of quiting the coordination bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and is working to terminate its participation in treaties concluded earlier as part of the CIS.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Belarus Ihor Kyzym said this on Wednesday, according to TASS.

"We have terminated our participation in the CIS coordination bodies that exist here [in Minsk]. [...] Therefore, I think that the process has been completed. We have submitted a respective document, therefore, that's all," the ambassador said.

According to him, Kyiv is currently working on some procedural issues, "slowly coming out of treaties."

"This process is long. As far as coordination institutes are concerned, we have no representative office at these bodies. It is closed," the ambassador said.

On May 2, 2018, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine supported the proposal to terminate Ukraine's participation in the activities of the CIS coordination bodies. The NSDC also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to take measures, in accordance with the established procedure, to terminate certain intergovernmental agreements.

On May 19, 2018, President Petro Poroshenko signed the decree on the NSDC decision of May 2, 2018, to terminate for Ukraine the effect of certain international treaties concluded as part of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

On January 23, 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to terminate for Ukraine the effect of three agreements on economic cooperation concluded as part of the CIS, in particular, the agreement on the interstate exchange of economic information, the agreement on the exchange of information in the field of foreign economic activity and the agreement on cooperation in the field of foreign economic activity.

On January 30, Ukraine withdrew from the agreement determining general conditions for the supply of goods between the CIS member states.