CIS FMs to sit in Uzbekistan, heads of government to meet in Russia
According to Sergei Lebedev, the parties are currently coordinating documents that will make up agendas of the future meetings of the CIS Foreign Ministers Council and the CIS Heads of Government Council. CIS Foreign Ministers Council will take place in Uzbekistan on 7 April. Russia will host the CIS Heads of Government Council on 26 May.
The Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee stated that 2017 is likely to be another difficult year for the Commonwealth of Independent States. The participating states will continue coping with the increasing competition on the globe and uncertainty factors in the international arena. The role of the Russian presidency in the CIS looks pivotal in these circumstances. According to Sergei Lebedev, the Russian presidency in the CIS is considered, first of all, as an opportunity to boost integration cooperation in the CIS, improve its performance.
Today, the CIS Plenipotentiaries Council is considering the plan of action for 2017. Sergei Lebedev stressed that the plan of action will be focused on the extension of coordinating and analytical activities and will cover a wide range of important areas. The Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee believes as vital to expand the plan of action with the issue related to the CIS Heads of State Council's suggestion to adjust the CIS to the present-day challenges.
The CIS Executive Committee is currently busy implementing the plan. For example, experts will meet next week to consider a draft provision on the division of powers between the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government, the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Economic Council. The work on finalizing the draft documents on the modernization of the CIS Economic Court is nearing completion. They will be introduced for consideration of the CIS supreme bodies.
The draft guidelines for filling out vacant positions in the CIS bodies have been sent to the CIS countries for consideration, Sergei Lebedev informed. Systematic work on the implementation of other instructions of the CIS Council of Heads of State is currently in progress.
