ST. PETERSBURG, December 26. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks that expanding interaction between CIS countries is in their core interests.
"I would like to express confidence that deepening interaction within the CIS framework corresponds to the core interests of the people of our countries and helps to resolve the tasks of the socio-economic development of Commonwealth states and bolster regional stability and security," the Russian leader said, opening an informal CIS summit on Monday.
Putin noted with satisfaction that interaction between the CIS countries spans such an important sphere as the preservation of a single humanitarian space and the expansion of various exchanges between residents. He reiterated that the peoples of the Commonwealth states are united by a shared history, shared spiritual roots, deeply intertwined culture and customs, values, traditions, and particularly the Russian language which serves as a powerful unifying force bringing together the CIS multinational countries.
The Russian leader reiterated that earlier, a decision was made to hold a Year of Russian Language in 2023. "I would like to thank you all for supporting this initiative," he said, noting that an extensive program of events had already been put together which is directed at supporting and enhancing the status of Russian language as a language of transnational interaction and promoting cultural achievements. In the president’s opinion, holding these events will facilitate a comprehensive spiritual and cultural enrichment of the CIS states.
Putin thanked all the summit’s participants who accepted the invitation to visit St. Petersburg. He noted that the results of the CIS’ work in 2022 under Kazakhstan’s chairmanship are important for all the participants "in terms of the results of the progress" made by the Commonwealth. "I sincerely wish you a happy new year, wish you and your nearest and dearest, and the residents of your countries, health, happiness, well-being and prosperity," he said.
The head of the Russian state invited his colleagues to switch to an informal interaction mode in an "informal environment." He hoped that such a dialogue would be "extremely productive as always.".