Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

CIS leaders adopted a declaration on further comprehensive cooperation in the former Soviet bloc's member states in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat on Wednesday.

The declaration reminded that the CIS was established due to the need for maintaining traditional humanitarian, economic and other relations in historical conditions, associated with the formation of new independent states, which, in turn, "determined the capability of the Commonwealth as an influential regional organization".

The creation of international transport corridors, development of energy and scientific cooperation, increase of export opportunities, and encouragement of investments are very important to overcome the economic problems facing the CIS area, it noted.

CIS is a loose association of former Soviet republics except Baltic states and Georgia, aimed at coordination of efforts among its members in the realm of developing trade, finance, lawmaking, and security, as well as crime prevention. The organization was founded in December 1991 by the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, when their leaders met outside Brest in Belarus and signed an agreement on the dissolution of the USSR and the creation of CIS as a successor entity.

The Ashgabat summit participants noted the increasing impact of economic factors on international relations, and the need of realizing the economic cooperation potential of CIS. They pledged to strengthen the role of CIS in regional and inter-regional relations.

The CIS heads of state noted their goal to continue cooperation in developing CIS activity and its legislative framework, in accordance with international experience.

"We consider it necessary to build the capacity of CIS in the use of preventive diplomacy and confidence-building measures and to develop relations in different fields, to strengthen friendship and cooperation among member states," their declaration said.

The statement stressed that organized crime, terrorism, trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances are serious threats to the security of CIS states. "We declare our intention to fight these threats," it said.

The next CIS summit will be held next October in Belarus, which has undertaken the chairmanship in CIS for 2013.