MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, an assembly of post-Soviet republics) has not stopped being effective, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, praising its huge significance.
"I do not think so," Lavrov said on Saturday in a televised interview with Kazakhstan’s Khabar-24 news channel, commenting on the reports that numerous experts believe that the CIS had exhausted its potential and stopped being effective.
"The Commonwealth of Independent States is the most representative institution in the post-Soviet space. The opportunity for all leaders of the CIS member states to meet regularly, at least twice a year, and to discuss frankly any issues in an informal atmosphere is precious. Such political dialogue makes it possible to determine practical tasks and problems, which are to be solved in the future. The value of the CIS is huge," the Russian foreign minister said.