Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 10 October (BelTA) – Belarus once again confirmed its status of a universal and very comfortable platform for hosting numerous integration events and strengthening cooperation in the CIS, Chairman of the Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev told media on 10 October, BelTA has learned.

The Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee expressed gratitude to Belarus for a high level of organization of the CIS Heads of State Council meeting and for the country’s second year of successful chairmanship in the CIS.

Kazakhstan will preside in the CIS in 2015. Sergei Lebedev expressed confidence that Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the CIS would be as fruitful as Belarus’. He added that the idea voiced by President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev at today’s meeting regarding a new CIS development concept would be supported. A special working group will be set up to work out the concept.

According to Nursultan Nazarbayev, Belarus’ two-year chairmanship in the CIS was fruitful and promoted cooperation between the CIS member states. Kazakhstan also views the CIS as a unique political platform that unites the countries in the former Soviet Union space. “There is no similar organization in our region to address issues and exchange opinions,” he said. “Our state will seek to strengthen the CIS potential. We will build our work on the principles of succession and continue the progress made by Belarus during its chairmanship,” the President of Kazakhstan added.

The Presidents of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States signed the documents that were considered at the narrow and extended meetings of the CIS Council of Heads of States in Minsk. The main themes were about the further development of interstate cooperation in the humanitarian field, in security and other areas.

Among the documents signed by the CIS Heads of State was the address to the international community in connection with the 70^th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

The CIS leaders also took a decision to enhance the international drug control system.

Decisions were adopted on the development of interregional cooperation between the CIS countries, on the implementation of the intergovernmental program "CIS Capitals of Culture”, on the program of cooperation between the CIS member states in combating illegal migration in 2015-2019, on the concept of cooperation between the CIS member states in counteracting the trafficking of people.

The CIS leaders also approved the agreement on the order of formation and use of joint groups of experts of border agencies for rapid response to threats to border security at the external borders of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Presidents of the CIS member states signed the protocol amending the agreement on the formation of the CIS Council of Heads of the Financial Intelligence Units as of 5 December 2012 and a number of other documents.

2016 was declared the Year of Education in the Commonwealth of Independent States.