DUSHANBE, September 3 (Itar-Tass) — President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan, what hold the rotating presidency in the CIS this year, praises the results of the 20th jubilee CIS summit.
Speaking at a final press conference on Saturday, Rakhmon said the summiteers had discussed concrete results of the CIS activity and determined key tasks for the future.
“Discussions were held freely and constructively,” he stressed.
According to the Tajik president, “One of the priorities is to comply with the principle of succession, develop and increase the role of the Commonwealth of Independent States as a regional organization.”
Rakhmon noted that during the presidency, Tajikistan “actively used the CIS platform to strengthen political, economic and cultural relations between our countries and preserve close cooperation between the CIS states on a bilateral and multilateral basis”.
At the same time, the Tajik president emphasised that the CIS priority was to maintain economic cooperation because comprehensive trade and economic interaction was the necessary condition for the sustainable development of the Commonwealth.
CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev, who also spoke at the press conference, said, “Despite all problems, the CIS is moving forward and the CIS members seek to strengthen and develop the Commonwealth in the future.”
The CIS Heads of State adopted a statement, which summed up the results of the 20th activity of the Commonwealth.
The CIS Heads of State declare the peaceful settlement of the existing conflicts is an important condition for the successful development of the organisation.
Within a few short years the organisation has gone through difficult tests by searching for optimal forms of cooperation and developing interstate relations. “The main result of the Commonwealth activity within the 20 years is the creation of conditions for the onward development of mutually advantageous cooperation, which meets national interests of any CIS state,” the statement says.
The heads of state noted that the activity of CIS observers at the elections and referendums on the CIS space got wide acceptance.
“The CIS states stated the sustainable development of external trade. They expressed readiness to improve and strengthen economic cooperation on the basis of the CIS economic development strategy till 2020,” the statement says. It noted that the key task was to complete the formation of a free trade zone. The heads of state said they were convinced in further economic modernisation, close innovation cooperation, ensuring food security, and using energy opportunities of the states. “We intend to further improve living standards, legal and social welfare, healthcare of our citizens, primarily of children, disabled persons, pensioners, veterans of the Great Patriotic War and workers on the home front,” the heads of state said.
In order to ensure reliable security of citizens the CIS countries intend to expand cooperation in fighting terrorism and other manifestations of extremism, illegal migration and human being traffic, as well as illegal drug trafficking. “The peaceful settlement of all existing conflicts will be an important condition for the successful development of the CIS on the basis of mutual trust, the principles and norms of international law,” the statement says.
The heads of state agreed to continue political consultations on key world political and international issues within the CIS. They consider useful the initiatives, which are aimed at ensuring regional and global security, including Russia’s proposal on a new European security treaty.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said cooperation at different levels on the post-Soviet space was rather optimal.
Speaking at the CIS summit, Medvedev said the CIS had no alternative and cooperation at different levels on the post-Soviet space was rather optimal.
“There is no alternative to the CIS as the unique platform to develop cooperation between interested states in all possible fields,” Medvedev said.
He told his colleagues that Russia’s position “remains unchanged”.
According to the Russian president, the formation of new integration associations on the post-Soviet space, including the Customs Union and the common economic space, enriches the CIS activity.
“In my view, as of today we’ve reached an optimal mechanism of so-called cooperation at different levels and in various formats that make our interaction flexible and that allow other states to take part in them,” Medvedev said.
“We can hardly hope for any other parameters of the CIS organisation,” he added.