Lebedev: Findings of CIS observation mission called objective by international community

MINSK, 22 January (BelTA) - Findings of the CIS observation mission are recognized as objective on the international scale, Chairman of the Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev said at the meeting of the CIS Council of Plenipotentiary Representatives in the Charter and Other Bodies of the Commonwealth on 22 January.

The Council is expected to appoint the head of the CIS observation mission for the presidential election in Armenia which is due on 18 February. According to Sergei Lebedev, the group will leave for Yerevan on 23 January to open the headquarters of the CIS election observation mission. “Our assessments are objective enough, and this is recognized on the international scale,” Sergei Lebedev stressed.

The CIS observation mission will closely monitor the election, observation of the democratic principles and electoral legislation.

Since Belarus holds the CIS chairmanship in 2013, the CIS Council of Plenipotentiary Representatives will be headed by Vasily Pugachev, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the CIS charter and other bodies. At the meeting, Mr Vasily Pugachev will present the concept of Belarus’ CIS Chairmanship and an action plan to it. The CIS plenipotentiary representatives will discuss assistance to Belarus in implementation of activities during its chairmanship in the CIS.

The theme of Belarus’ CIS Chairmanship is “Integration for the good of man: strengthening of good-neighborly relations, development of environmental cooperation, promoting accessibility of ecological “green” technologies, expanding the dialogue of cultures”. Belarus will be working towards improving the image of the CIS on the international arena and within the Commonwealth, strengthening the interaction between government agencies of the CIS Member States with other states and integration entities.

Measures aimed at deepening mutually beneficial trade-economic and innovation cooperation, cross-sectoral and industrial interaction are intended to give additional impetus to the growth of national economies and the potential of the CIS as a whole.

Belarus will also focus on development of information space, strengthening of intercultural and inter-ethnic interaction, contacts between scientific and creative intellectuals, veterans' and youth organizations, in sport and tourism. The council members will approve the work plan for 2013 and will consider the draft agenda of the next meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in Tashkent on 5 April.