In the wake of last year's war with Russia, Georgia's parliament voted unanimously to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States. The withdrawal took effect Tuesday.

The CIS was formed in the dying days of the Soviet Union in 1991 as a loose alliance. It has taken little definitive action and is seen largely as a way for Russia to try to exert regional influence.

Other groupings that include Russia have become more prominent _ including the Collective Security Treaty Organization military alliance that intends to place a rapid-reaction force in Central Asia, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that groups Russia, China and former Soviet Central Asian republics.

Meanwhile, some CIS members are also cultivating closer ties with the West. Ukraine's president openly favors membership in NATO and the European Union, while both Moldova and Belarus are part of the EU's Eastern Partnership program.

Georgia says last year's five-day war started with a Russian invasion of the South Ossetia separatist region and that Russia aimed to regain control of Georgia. Russia says the fighting started with a Georgian assault.

Russia recognizes South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway region, as independent.

The CIS now includes Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan downgraded from full to associate membership in 2005, and the three Baltic former Soviet republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia never joined.

Deputy Foreign Minister David Dzhalaganiya said Tuesday that Georgia would seek to maintain bilateral relations with CIS nations. However, Georgia and Russia broke diplomatic relations last year after the war.