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Georgia parliament to mull draft CIS pullout resolution this week

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A draft resolution on Georgia's immediate withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States has been put on the agenda of the country's parliamentary sessions this week.
TBILISI, November 6 (RIA Novosti) - A draft resolution on Georgia's immediate withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States has been put on the agenda of the country's parliamentary sessions this week.

The CIS, a loose confederation of 12 ex-Soviet republics, has been criticized by some of its members - notably Ukraine and Georgia - as being ineffectual, and a vehicle for promoting Russia's interests. Moldova's leader has also questioned the organization's future, and last year Turkmenistan ceased to be a full member.

"This week, parliament will consider the issue of Georgia's secession from the CIS. On Friday, November 10, it will be clear whether [President] Mikheil Saakashvili and his parliamentary majority remain in the CIS or we will quit this worthless organization," Kakha Kukava, a member of the opposition faction Democratic Front that drafted the document said.

But the parliamentary majority said it would be wrong for Georgia to withdraw from the CIS at this stage.

While commenting on the draft resolution on Georgia's secession from the CIS, deputy speaker of the country's parliament Mikheil Machavariani said this decision will "create problems for the country's citizens."

"Many people don't know that if we pull out from the CIS right now then production we import, say, from Ukraine, will become 12% more expensive," he said. "We are responsible people and can't get our citizens into an even more complicated situation."

He said that a political decision on quitting CIS was made, but when it will happen depends on minimization of risks for the population's well-being.

Georgia's government has been drafting relevant bills and holding bilateral consultations with CIS members in case the country implements what it is pondering.

Georgia and Russia have been entangled in a diplomatic feud that erupted with the arrests of Russian officers on spying charges in September. Tensions had already been strained over Russia's ban on the import of Georgian mineral water and wine, and disputes over Georgia's conflict zones.

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