The next session of the CIS Council on Tourism (Council) is being held in Dushanbe today. The process of implementation of the plan of actions on implementation of the CIS Tourism Development Strategy for the period up to 2020 is on the meeting’s agenda, according to the CIS Executive Committee press center.
The Council members are also discussing the most important tourism events that took place and will take place in their countries this year.
Besides, the Council is expected to approve a working group for elaboration of the CIS Tourism Development Strategy for the period up to 2030.
The meeting participants are also discussing issues related to improvement of organization of children and youth tourism in the CIS nations.
They are also expected to discuss the issue of improvement of the institutional structure of tourism management for the purpose of conducting more effective marketing policy in the tourism area and development of public-private partnership in the sphere of tourism, promotion of national tourism product, promotion of inbound and domestic tourism, and attraction of investment in tourism industry.
The meeting that will conclude on August 11 will also elect a new chairman of the CIS Council on Tourism.
Established in 1994, the CIS Council on Tourism now comprises representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The Council is engaged in formulating a common strategy for tourism development in the CIS countries.
Established on December 8, 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization. It now consists of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Georgia pulled out of the organization in 2009.
Although Ukraine was one of the founding countries and ratified the Creation Agreement in December 1991, Ukraine chose not to ratify the CIS Charter as it disagrees with Russia being the only legal successor state to the Soviet Union. Thus it does not regard itself as a member of the CIS. In 1993, Ukraine became an "Associate Member" of CIS. On March 14, 2014, a bill was introduced to Ukraine's parliament to denounce their ratification of the 1991 Agreement Establishing the CIS, following the Russian military intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, but was never approved. Following the 2014 parliamentary election, a new bill to denounce the CIS agreement was introduced. In September 2015, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Ukraine will continue taking part in CIS “on a selective basis.” Since that month, Ukraine has had no representatives in the CIS Executive Committee building. In April 2018, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko indicated that Ukraine would formally leave the CIS. On May 19, 2018, President Poroshenko signed a decree formally ending Ukraine's participation in CIS statutory bodies. However, as of 1 June the CIS secretariat had not received formal notice from Ukraine of its withdrawal from the CIS, a process which will take 1 year following notice being given. Ukraine has stated that intends review its participation in all CIS agreements, and only continue in those that are in its interests.
