MINSK, January 19. /TASS/. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will send invitations to countries to join the International Organisation for the Russian Language, CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev said.

"As the secretary general, I expect that we will invite nations to join. It is the right of other states or public bodies whether to join the organization's activities on the Russian language or not," he said in an interview with the Mir-24 TV channel.

Lebedev noted that there are "many countries where the Russian language used to hold an important place in public life and where there is still interest in the Russian language." "I will first of all name the so-called Slavic states. This is Ukraine, which has now curtailed its participation, but has not left the CIS <...>, these are the Balkan states. These are Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Poland," he said.

"Having proclaimed the freedom to join our organization, we very much hope that other states will take advantage of it," the secretary general added.

In early November of last year, Lebedev said that the CIS hopes that the International Organization for the Russian Language will be launched in 2024. He informed that "preparatory activities for the establishment of this organization" were underway, with its secretariat to be located in Sochi.

The treaty on the establishment of the International Organization for the Russian Language, initiated by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in 2022, was signed by the heads of state of the CIS at a meeting in Bishkek on October 13, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed placing the headquarters of the organization in Sochi and expressed hope for the prompt launch of this body. Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov noted that the new organization "will not be limited by the Commonwealth space" and will be open for all interested states to join.