Republic
CIS cooperation to focus on economic matters in 2016
MINSK, 15 December (BelTA) – Cooperation of the CIS member states in 2016 will focus on economic affairs. The statement was made by Sergei Lebedev, Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary, before the session of the Council of plenipotentiary representatives of the CIS member states in CIS charter bodies and other ones on 15 December, BelTA has learned.
Sergei Lebedev said: “All the innovations, which are scheduled for implementation within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2016, will be primarily geared towards stronger interaction in economic affairs.”
In his words, efforts will be channeled into closer coordination of actions in economic and financial affairs for the sake of preventing actions of individual countries from adversely affecting interests of other CIS partners. Plans have been made to switch to national currencies in transactions between the CIS member states instead of the U.S. dollar and the euro. Experts believe that the move would ease up trade relations between the countries.
Apart from that, it is important to more tightly coordinate actions concerning security in the international scene. “The threats we know of, more prominent actions of extremists create a certain kind of pressure along the CIS borders. The matter requires tighter coordination, too,” said Sergei Lebedev.
Summing up results of the year 2015, the CIS Executive Secretary noted that economic difficulties caused by falling oil prices had affected the state of economy in the CIS states, yet they had encouraged the countries to step up cooperation. According to Sergei Lebedev, it is the reason why many decisions designed to enhance interaction in economic affairs were made during the session of the CIS Heads of Government Council in Astana. “Economic cooperation grows stronger, advances, and helps overcome the problems that we are facing,” he said.
Speaking about humanitarian cooperation, Sergei Lebedev mentioned the forum of scientific and creative intellectuals, meetings of ministers of education and culture, and sport games of the CIS member states.
Next year Kyrgyzstan will take over the CIS presidency from Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan has already stated the concept of the presidency is in development. According to Sergei Lebedev, the concept is substantial and provides for a number of sessions in Kyrgyzstan and other CIS states.
The CIS Executive Secretary noted that the Commonwealth transformation process, the process of innovations and reforms is a natural one. In his words, it is necessary to adapt the CIS to modern conditions, this is why proposals on introducing innovations in the operation of the Commonwealth of Independent States are being worked out. “But the most important thing is that all the CIS states confirm it is necessary to step up interaction and improve the effectiveness of the Commonwealth,” concluded Sergei Lebedev.