A regular session of the CIS Council of Heads of Government chaired by Ukraine’s Premier Yulia Timoshenko was held in Minsk, Belarus, on May 23. Prior to the meeting, president of Belarus Alexandr Lukashenko received the heads of government.

The agenda of the session included the question of fulfillment of the instructions issued by the CIS Council of Heads of State session held October 5, 2007, and the session of the CIS Council of Heads of Government (November 20, 2007) concerning development of the Draft on CIS economic development strategy. The participants also considered proposals regarding coordinated transport policy and joint measures aimed at improving the CIS food security and the draft convention on cross-border cooperation.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Azerbaijan’s Prime Minister Artur Rasizade met with Belarusian Premier Sergei Sidorsky, who discussed the Azerbaijan-Belarus trade-economic cooperation and other issues regarding the CIS development. The Belarus Premier thanked the Azerbaijani Prime Minister for readiness for joint work both in the expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and the CIS development.

Mr. Rasizade, for his turn, said Azerbaijan attaches special importance to promoting relations with Belarus. He expressed confidence that this cooperation would continue expanding.

Azerbaijani Prime Minister also met with Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tumishenko. The sides discussed perspectives of bilateral relations between the two countries.