Expert: exit from CIS is Poroshenko’s PR move

Repeated statements by Petro Poroshenko regarding breach of all relations with the CIS are just a PR move, Deputy Dean of the Higher School of Economics Andrey Suzdaltsev has announced.

The expert stressed that Ukraine has been the only country that had not ratified the CIS charter, which means it participated in the organization on an “unofficial” basis. So, Poroshenko’s statement on recalling Ukrainian representatives from CIS institutions is paradoxical, as there are no ones there.

“It is a signal to the West that Ukraine is breaking all ties with Russia forever. But one thing is not taken into account: the CIS is a universal regional organization, It represents a region, not Russia. So, this is a PR move aimed at those people who know nothing about specifics of the CIS and Ukraine’s participation in it,” Suzdaltsev is quoted as saying by RT.

He believes that the situation with Ukraine will be similar to the one with Georgia’s withdrawal from the CIS: some general agreements will be abandoned; however, Kiev will preserve a number of agreements which are profitable for it, just like Tbilisi did.

As EADaily reported earlier, President Poroshenko announced that he signed a decree saying that Kiev terminates it participation in activities of all CIS institutions and withdraws all its representatives.