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CIS jubilee forum states CIS improves as int'l cooperation tool

The participants in an international scientific and practical conference, which is dedicated to the CIS 20th anniversary, have stated this

MINSK, September 29 (Itar-Tass) —— The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) turned in a unique platform of multilateral cooperation between the CIS states in all fields. The participants in an international scientific and practical conference, which is dedicated to the CIS 20th anniversary, have stated this. The CIS anniversary conference ended in Minsk on Thursday.

“The situation in the CIS is working, its results give sound reasons for optimism in evaluating its prospects,” chairman of the CIS Executive Committee Sergei Lebedev said.

“Mainly thanks to the CIS trade and economic relations between the CIS states were transferred on the market basis, permanent political dialogue, the cooperation to build up security and stability and in the humanitarian sphere were established,” the final document of the forum said. The document noted that the participants in the forum can state “current constant evolutionary improvement in the CIS as a coordinating instrument of interstate cooperation and cooperation in political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian and other priority spheres.”

The participants in the forum named among important CIS economic tasks to complete the formation and to provide the full-scale operation of a free trade zone in the CIS space under the rules of the World Trade Organization, form an interstate innovative space, a deeper cooperation in the energy sector in order to optimize the use of fuel and energy resources and to create equal conditions for access to them. The CIS states are facing the task in the humanitarian sphere to broaden partnership, which is based on the common historical past, close cultural and spiritual identities of peoples, and to form a common information space. The CIS states called for developing the political dialogue, more actively using such instruments as coordinated speeches at authoritative international forums on the vital issues of world policy and for developing common positions in international organizations for mutual interest.

Officials from the CIS states, the chiefs of the CIS agencies, prominent public figures and politicians, scientists and representatives of business and financial circles were participating in the forum.

The participants in the forum discussed the development and the efficiency of cooperation between the CIS states at plenary and section meetings for two days. The conference particularly discussed the prospects for developing humanitarian cooperation, integration of the banking systems, the improvement of the institute of international observers from the CIS states at elections and referenda and a broader multilateral military cooperation.

The CIS Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Spivakov gave a concert for the forum.

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