MOSCOW, October 8. /TASS/. Interaction within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities, so Moscow will work to strengthen collaboration there, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the opening of the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council.

"I would like to emphasize that interaction within the CIS is one of the main priorities of Russia’s foreign policy. These member countries are our closest neighbors, friends, and strategic partners. Of course, we are determined to strengthen our cooperation in every way possible," the Russian president emphasized, reiterating that this was the focus of Russia’s presidency in 2024 and the goal behind all the events it planned therein. "We would like to express our appreciation to all of our colleagues here today for their support and active participation in the work on their [relevant events’] implementation," Putin added.

Regarding the meeting’s agenda, the Russian president said it was quite extensive. "We will surely pay much attention to economic issues and prospects for further expansion of trade and investment cooperation in the CIS," he said.