Republic

Alexander Lukashenko: CIS should improve its effectiveness through specific large-scale projects

The Commonwealth of Independent States should not be just preserved, the CIS should continue developing, raising its effectiveness as an integration institution through implementing specific large-scale projects. This invariable position of Belarus was reasserted by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on June 10 during an informal meeting of the CIS heads of state in Saint Petersburg, the press service of the Belarusian leader told BelTA. Energy industry, transport and cargo transit, workforce migration, joint scientific and educational projects, ways to reinforce cultural ties, the creation of large international industrial holding companies and corporations, interregional cooperation and interagency cooperation are on the list of major avenues cooperation between the CIS member-states should be boosted in according to the Belarusian side. All the twelve leaders of the Commonwealth states were present during the informal summit in St Petersburg. The CIS development and reform was high on the agenda of the summit. Following an instruction issued by the presidents, a CIS interstate working party involving deputy heads of the CIS states’ foreign ministries prepared a draft concept of the CIS future development by June 1. The document was forwarded for consideration of the heads of state. As the St Petersburg summit was informal, the final variant of the concept is expected to be tabled at the official session of the CIS heads of state in Dushanbe on October 5-6. The presidents confirmed the intention to continue integration processes within the framework of the Commonwealth. The heads of state agreed every year they would focus attention and single out the top-priority issue a consensus decision would be taken on. The problem of migration named by Kazakhstan was the first issue. A corresponding CIS treaty will be worked out. It was noted, the labour force of the Commonwealth numbers 130 million people, with migrants, including illegal ones, accounting for 10% of the number. Next year a CIS summit is expected to table the problem of transport and communications and then energy industry and education.