DUSHANBE, May 23, Asia-Plus — “Withdrawal of any member nation from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will not lead to collapse of this structure,” Sayfullo Safarov, Deputy Director of Tajikistan’s Center for Strategic Studies, said in his interview with Asia-Plus.
“Possible withdrawal of Georgia and Ukraine will not serve as a spur to the collapse of this structure because these countries have always hesitated whether to remain CIS members or to quit the CIS,” said Mr. Safarov, “The CIS exists without Baltic republics, and I believe it will exist without those countries as well.” “External factor has a great influence on positions of these countries,” Tajik political scientist stressed.
Safarov noted that the CIS had been established for “civilized divorce” of the Soviet republics. “In each family, children sometimes leave but then they will return home and unite [with the family],” said Sayfullo Safarov, “They need this stage to become stronger to feel their independence and gain a foothold.”
According to him, some countries have already passed the process of gaining a firm hold, while others are still on the way to gain it. “Thus, they already have wish to unite with their neighbors for resolving those complicate problems, which they are unable to resolve alone,” noted Tajik expert, “Therefore regional organizations such as SCTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] are established for resolving problems of security and the organizations such as EAEC [Eurasian Economic Community] are established for tackling economic problems; and all this is evidence of the fact that the CIS states need each other.”
At the same time, many problems are facing the CIS, according to him. “Of 1,500 documents signed within the framework of this structure, more than 70 percent are not working,” said Safarov, “Therefore some people consider that the CIS is just a discussion club of the presidents to discuss only those problems, which are not resolved on other levels. But even in this form, the CIS is an important organization, which resolves certain acute issues.”
“The CIS is a foundation for further,” noted the political scientist, “And there is possible variant of development and further expansion of integration within the CIS. In future, if not in the coming decade, the CIS countries will become closer.”
