DUSHANBE, October 6, Asia-Plus — On Friday October 5, Tajik President and ten other leaders of the CIS states held a summit in Somon Palace in Dushanbe. Ukraine was presented by Foreign Minister Aresny Yatsenyuk, because Ukrainian President did not attend the summit. He visited France and met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The participants in the summit handled 19 issues, in particular the election of a new CIS chairman and an executive secretary, thus replacing at the posts Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and CIS secretary Vladimir Rushailo.
The CIS heads of state agreed to develop further the organization.
They also agreed to coordinate labor migration in the region, as well as the legal and social protection of the migrants.
Seventeen documents were signed during the meeting, including agreements on the creation of a free-trade zone and a coordinated customs system.
The leaders pledged to establish a free trade zone and enhance it according to the rules of the World Trade Organization.
“Today, the priority of the CIS is economic cooperation,” the declaration reads. “Full-fledged economic cooperation between the CIS member countries is a precondition for stable development.”
Consolidating cooperation in energy, including oil and gas production, transportation and transit, was also announced a priority amid disputes over gas prices between Russia, which seeks to dominate the CIS, and Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus.
The CIS leaders also adopted a declaration on coordinated migration policies, under which they pledged to secure the right to free movement and relocation for CIS residents.
The CIS heads of state decided to streamline and unify the Commonwealth”s bodies and agencies. Proposals were voiced to enhance the role of rotating chairmanship.
Speaking at the summit, President Rahmon said the CIS summit was fruitful and adopted documents on further development of the organization. “The concept we have adopted specifies the parameters of our further actions and priorities of our cooperation,” he said.
“Better living standards in member countries depend on the coordination of our efforts,” Emomali Rahmon said.
He also lauded the pledge to pool efforts in the response to international terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking.
“The CIS will live, although it must be reformed,” the president said.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, whose country held the rotating CIS presidency, said Kyrgyzstan would next hold the rotating CIS chairmanship, and Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, would host the next summit in September 2008.
