Understanding of major cooperation promotion avenues clear in CIS

MINSK, 30 October (BelTA) – There is a clear understanding of major cooperation promotion avenues in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The statement was made by Vasily Pugachev, Belarus’ resident and plenipotentiary representative in CIS charter bodies and other ones before the session of the CIS Council of Plenipotentiary Representatives in Minsk on 30 October, BelTA has learned.

The session of the CIS Heads of State Council, which took place in Minsk on 25 October, confirmed the agreement of views in the CIS. “All the heads of the delegations sincerely shared their views about topical problems, tasks, and prospects of the Commonwealth. The discussion underlined the need for the CIS,” noted Vasily Pugachev.

The CIS Council of Plenipotentiary Representatives will work with the CIS Executive Committee, interstate sectorial councils to implement the decisions made by the CIS presidents at the summit.

Vasily Pugachev reminded that the session of the CIS Heads of State Council, which has been praised by all the delegations, took place in the Palace of Independence.

In line with the relevant summit decision the next year has been declared the Year of Tourism in the Commonwealth of Independent States. This is why Vasily Pugachev remarked that a lot of efforts have been exercised and are still exercised in the CIS to develop tourism. “The travel industry brings our nations closer, contributes to the active movement of people in the visa-free CIS space, to the development of infrastructure, and personnel training,” said Vasily Pugachev. The declaration of the year 2014 as the CIS Year of Tourism will positively influence the CIS image as a whole, the influence of the CIS member states, and will also contribute to the development of the intercultural dialogue, the plenipotentiary representative of Belarus is convinced.

On the eve of the CIS presidential summit in Minsk a session of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council took place on 24 October. The ministers discussed 14 items on the agenda concerning various aspects of cooperation in the Commonwealth of Independent States, with 17 relevant documents adopted.

The session of the CIS Heads of State Council was chaired by the Belarus president. The summit gathered presidents of all the CIS states except for Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. The two countries were represented by a first vice premier and a vice premier respectively. The Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary also took part in the session. As many as 19 documents were discussed. They regulate cooperation in various spheres. The CIS Heads of State Council took note of the Belarusian report regarding the results of Belarus’ presidency in the CIS in 2013. It was also decided that Ukraine will take care of the CIS presidency in 2014.

The CIS Council of Plenipotentiary Representatives also heard out reports about the operation of the CIS Interior Ministers Council in 2011-2012 and in H1 2013. In this period the interior ministers were focused on fulfilling decisions of the heads of state and of the governments, carrying out existing interstate programs on crime control. Further enhancement of interaction between law enforcement bodies of the CIS member states in crime control was the primary task.

The CIS Council of Plenipotentiary Representatives also discussed sending a CIS delegation to monitor elections to the Turkmenistan parliament.