Astana, 10 Oct (ZXS) -- Bishkek news: On 13 October local time, a meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and all parties signed a number of documents. In addition, Russia will take over the "baton" from Kyrgyzstan and assume the rotating presidency of the CIS in 13.
The meeting was chaired by President Zaparov of Kyrgyzstan and attended by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Lukashenko of Belarus, President Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan and Lebedev, Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee.
During the meeting, all sides exchanged views on expanding and strengthening cooperation among CIS member states in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields, as well as on current international and regional hotspot issues.
Zaparov said that Kyrgyzstan is taking measures to cope with the impact of climate change, and he called on all parties to jointly achieve green economic development through technology, capital and other means. He also pointed out that Kyrgyzstan is willing to implement joint projects with various countries to promote the process of digital development within the Organization.
In his speech, Putin said that last year, Russia's trade volume with CIS countries increased by 6% to $1020 billion. At present, the Russian economic situation is generally stable, and the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is expected to reach 3% this year. During the meeting, Putin also called on the CIS countries to jointly build a "sustainable financial infrastructure free from external influences" and make wider use of their national currencies in mutual settlements to further increase trade and investment liquidity.
Speaking about cooperation within the Organization, Putin said that deepening foreign policy coordination within the CIS is still of practical significance, and at the same time, efficient cooperation among CIS countries in the field of counter-terrorism should be strengthened.
Putin said that Russia cherishes friendly and trusting relations with CIS partner countries, and Russia is willing to make every effort to deepen equal and mutually beneficial cooperation with all parties. The Russian side firmly believes that the integrity of national sovereignty and the balance of interests are prerequisites for ensuring the development of friendly relations between friendly countries.
Speaking about the recent situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, Putin said that Russia has intensified diplomatic efforts to stop hostilities and prevent the escalation of the situation, and is willing to continue to provide all assistance to this end.
Tokayev said at the meeting that promoting closer economic and trade cooperation is still the main task in the development of relations among member states. Last year, trade with CIS countries accounted for a quarter of Kazakhstan's foreign trade. From January to July this year, trade between the two sides increased by 1.7% to $4.5 billion.
To further strengthen trade relations, Tokayev believes that all parties should eliminate trade barriers, create favorable tariff conditions and simplify administrative procedures.
In his speech, Tokayev also noted the importance of promoting the development of transport corridors between CIS countries, and stressed the need to modernize existing infrastructure and improve digital solutions in order to unlock the potential of transit transport between countries.
In addition, Tokayev said that the current geopolitical conflict has intensified, and the world economy is facing destabilizing factors. Kazakhstan firmly opposes the resolution of contradictions and conflicts through terrorism and other means, and he also pointed out that Kazakhstan opposes the use of economic sanctions, which will have a disastrous impact on global trade.
The CIS stands for Commonwealth of Independent States and was established in December 1991 and currently has nine full member states. The CIS Council of Heads of State is the highest body of the organization, and its meetings are held on a rotational basis among the member States. According to foreign media, the next meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State will be held in Moscow, the capital of Russia. (End)