OFFICIAL NEWS
SUMMIT MEETING OF HEADS OF CIS MEMBER STATES HELD IN MINSK
Participating Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kirghizstan, Vladimir Voronin of Moldova, Robert Kocharyan of Armenia, Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan, Imomali Rahmonov of Tajikistan and Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, as well as Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan Gurbangulu Berdimuhammadov were warmly welcomed by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
In his welcome speech, the head of Belarus said although member states of CIS, which he reminded, is turning 15 on December 6, have managed to save mutual aspiration for cooperation, a great deal of decisions have not been implemented. He urged his counterparts to exert efforts towards deepening of intra-CIS integration.
President of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the CIS Heads of State Council Nursultan Nazarbayev officially opened the summit saying it would largely focus on the issues concerning the Commonwealth’s effectiveness and prospects of its further development.
Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo said the draft agenda of the summit had been drawn up on the basis of the proposals of the member states, and discussed at the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers.
The session continued behind closed doors.
Later, heads of state gathered in an enlarged format.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stressed the importance of reinforcing the policy of intra-CIS integration.
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev thanked the Belarusian leader for excellent organization of the summit and hospitality. He spoke of significance of the documents discussed at the closed-door session.
Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo said that some of the documents considered and adopted by the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers, have been signed after being amended and supplemented. Mr. Rushaylo added no decision was made on solving border problems.
After the ceremony of signing the documents, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo answered questions from media representatives.
They announced they had made a decision to hold the next CIS summit in Tajik capital city of Dushanbe.