14 March 2009, 11:00
Georgia to officially quit CIS structures after August 18
Georgia will officially quit the CIS after August 18, as stated on March 13 by Alexander Nalbandov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. According to his story, one year will expire on that day - the mandatory term stipulated for all the procedures related to exit from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
During the time remaining till August, Georgia will finalize a number of procedures, after which it will finally quit the CIS. The government should use this time to negotiate with those countries, with whom Georgia would like to sign bilateral agreements after cancellation the current multilateral ones.
The "New Region" Agency reports that Mr Nalbandov told the MPs that Georgia, while a CIS member-state, took part in 113 multilateral treaties. According to the Viennese Convention, after exit from the CIS Georgia can remain a party to those treaties, where the CIS membership is not a must.
Shota Malashkhiya, head of the interim parliamentary commission for restoration of Georgia's territorial integrity, believes that nothing, both legally and politically, can prevent Georgia from terminating its status of a CIS member, as the "Georgia Online" Agency reports.
