CIS economic development still rather high, Vladimir Garkun says

In recent years the CIS economic development has been keeping steadily high despite all the critical remarks about the Commonwealth’s effectiveness, Vladimir Garkun, First Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee and CIS First Deputy Executive Secretary, told media in Minsk today. In his words, the annual GDP growth is one of the most prominent indicators of the Commonwealth effectiveness. Last year the figure stayed at 109% across the CIS and in Q1 2007 it totalled 108%. Cash revenues are on the rise in practically every CIS state. Vladimir Garkun reminded, at present there are over 300 million people living in the 12 CIS states. The Commonwealth of Independent States preserves visa-free travelling, pensioners get pensions on time regardless of the country they earned their pensions in, and all the CIS states recognise each other’s university diplomas. “These are the key achievements of the Commonwealth, a vivid example of the CIS effectiveness and necessity”, he concluded.