MINSK, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - Coordination of foreign policy cooperation of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including on such issues as the situation in Syria, prospects for the developments in Afghanistan, interaction with the UN and OSCE, was a key issue at a meeting of the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers that was held in Minsk on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters after the meeting.
“We exchanged views on the hot international problems, including the Syrian crisis. Many interests that are linked not only with this country, but also with the principles of world order, the way of settling regional problems clash here. It is also very important for us to uphold the rule of international law on the global scale,” the minister said.
Lavrov added that the developments in Afghanistan after 2014 is an important issue. “We have exchanged views on ways to minimise the threats emanating from Afghanistan that will probably only grow after the contingents of international forces are withdrawn from the country in late 2014,” Lavrov said.
In addition, according to the minister, the meeting participants discussed the issue of developing cooperation with the UN. “We support the initiative of the Belarusian colleagues to promote the resolution on cooperation between the UN and the CIS,” he said.
Lavrov also said that the meeting discussed various aspects of interaction between the CIS and the OSCE. “Most of the CIS countries have for several years been promoting a draft of the basic principles that would set the uniform standards and criteria for election observation through this organisation,” said the minister. According to him, the possibilities of cooperation with the OSCE on finding ways to respond to new challenges and threats were also discussed.