Parliament of Moldova to Hold Emergency Session, Reports TV-8

The Speaker of the Parliament of Moldova, leader of the ruling "Action and Solidarity" party, Igor Grosu, has called for an emergency session of the legislative assembly, according to the Chisinau-based TV channel TV-8. The session is scheduled to take place on August 17th.

Last week, the Parliament of Moldova concluded its spring-summer session, and the lawmakers went on vacation. "On the upcoming Thursday, the Parliament will convene for an extraordinary session. This information was confirmed to us by Speaker Grosu. The agenda will be announced later," the channel's website reports.

On Monday, August 14th, the Moldovan government will hold a meeting that was postponed from the previous Wednesday. The Moldovan cabinet's website states that the agenda includes 20 items, including the approval and termination of agreements, voting on a number of legislative acts, and other changes to the legislation.

Earlier, the Moldovan government and parliament terminated dozens of agreements with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The country also withdrew from the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth. Authorities have repeatedly emphasized that they will continue the course of exiting agreements concluded within the framework of the CIS.

Currently, the government is considering terminating at least 7 agreements related to the energy sector. These include the Agreement on the Coordination of Relations between CIS countries in the field of electric power, signed in Minsk on February 14, 1992; the Agreement on Ensuring Parallel Operation of Energy Systems of CIS Member States, signed in Moscow on November 25, 1998; the Agreement on Ensuring Parallel Operation of Energy Systems of CIS Member States, signed in Moscow on January 25, 2000; and the Agreement on the Transportation of Energy Resources and Electricity of CIS Member States, signed in Moscow on January 25, 2000.

According to a mid-March survey conducted by the Institute of Marketing and Sociological Research (IMAS), the majority of Moldova's residents are in favor of maintaining economic, political, and cultural ties with Russia. The survey also revealed that more than half of the Moldovan population opposes the country's withdrawal from the CIS, and many citizens are dissatisfied with the standard of living and hold the country's leadership responsible for the increase in gas and electricity prices.