Republic

Minsk hosts CIS summit

MINSK, 25 October (BelTA) – The CIS Heads of State Council will sit at the Palace of Independence in Minsk on 25 October, BelTA has learnt.

The CIS Heads of State Council meeting will be the key event within Belarus’ presidency in the CIS in 2013.

Belarus’ presidency in the Commonwealth of Independent States follows the motto “Integration for the benefit of people: stronger neighborly ties, the development of economic cooperation, assistance for improving the accessibility of green technologies, the expansion of the dialogue of cultures”. Over 70 events of economic, ecological, humanitarian, and interregional nature are part of the plan to implement Belarus’ CIS presidency in 2013.

The agenda of the summit includes 14 issues that cover various aspects of cooperation from humanitarian activities to security and economic relations.

There are plans to adopt programs on cooperation in fighting terrorism and other violent manifestations of extremism in 2014-2015, on cooperation in fighting the illegal turnover of narcotic substances and counteracting drug addiction in 2014-2018.

The summiteers will also discuss the interstate program for joint actions to fight crime in 2014-2018 and the program for cooperation between the CIS states in fighting slave trade in 2014-2018.

The heads of state are expected to adopt an agreement on setting up an interstate council for counteracting corruption and a program on cooperation in fighting crimes committed using information technologies.

As far as humanitarian cooperation is concerned, the parties intend to discuss preparations for celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The presidents will also decide on declaring the year 2014 as the Year of Tourism in the CIS as well as on the implementation of the interstate program the CIS Capitals of Culture in 2014.