BISHKEK, September 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will on Friday attend the meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

The CIS is marking 25 years since its foundation this year. The summit is preceded by a meeting of the CIS Foreign Ministerial Council, where Russia is represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Putin’s visit to the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, will last two days. On September 17, the Russian leader will meet with the republic’s President Almazbek Atambayev and attend celebrations of the 60th birthday of the Kyrgyz leader.

Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said earlier that the CIS Heads of State Council’s meeting will be attended by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. 

CIS adaptation to modern realities

The CIS heads of state summit is expected  to endorse a document on adapting the Commonwealth to the modern realities, implying, in particular, reduction of personnel of a number of CIS agencies and transferring some powers, Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister, Erlan Abdyldayev, said on Friday opening an extended meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers.

"We will submit to the upcoming CIS heads of state summit the decisions on adapting the CIS to the new realities drawn up in the course of the year," he said. "There is a common understanding of the need to reduce the personnel of some CIS bodies."

The CIS member-countries supported Kyrgyzstan’s proposal to adapt the organization to the modern conditions, Abdyldayev said.

"Our country carried out substantial and meticulous work in this direction. We are satisfied that all parties support the initiative on delegating some CIS powers to such bodies as the Council of Foreign Ministers and the CIS Economic Council."