CIS presidents eager to make Commonwealth stronger

Sergei Lebedev said that the session had discussed and adopted a Turkmenistan-sponsored declaration on further development of all-round cooperation. As part of the discussion the heads of state shared views on topical problems of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The document embodies the intention of the sides to continue pouring efforts into enhancing the role of the Commonwealth of Independent States in forming a system of regional and interregional relations, the establishment of a viable and effective mechanism that meets present-day requirements, Kazinform refers to BelTA.
In his words, the decision on preparations to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 was made, too. The document had been approved by the Foreign Ministers Council the day before. The decision provides for introducing an honorary order and a commemorative medal "70 years of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". The CIS states are expected to work out and adopt national programs to prepare for and celebrate the anniversary of the victory.
The private session of the CIS Heads of State Council also made the decision on Belarus' presidency in the CIS in 2013. "Following the proposal of the Belarus President the decision to hold the next session of the CIS Heads of State Council in Belarus in October 2013 was made," said Sergei Lebedev. The CIS Executive Committee press service said that Turkmenistan and Ukraine will be co-presidents.
Upon the initiative of the Russian Federation the heads of state talked over and made the decision about the Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary. Sergei Lebedev's term of office has been extended till the end of 2016.
Participants of the session also heard out a report about the operation of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. The Heads of State Council approved of the work and suggested that the Assembly should continue working to promote interparliamentary interaction of the CIS states in political, economic, legal spheres and other ones.
Participants of the session adopted a regulation on the interstate program Cultural Capitals of the Commonwealth. It was decided to implement the program in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Belarus in 2013. Respectively the cities of Gabala, Gyumri, and Mogilev have been declared the cultural capitals of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
It was decided to declare the year 2013 the Year of Environmental Awareness and Environmental Protection in the CIS, focusing the main efforts within the framework of interstate cooperation on this important topic.
The CIS Executive Committee press service said that participants of the session had been made familiar with detailed information about the implementation of measures to fulfill the decision made by the CIS Heads of State Council on 20 December 2011 to determine cooperation in communications and informatization as the key sphere of CIS cooperation in economic matters in 2012. The discussion indicated that interaction between the countries is promoted very vigorously.
At the end of the session the heads of state signed several agreements on security and the organization of an integrated currency market. The session also passed promising guidelines for the development of the united air defense system of the CIS states and an action plan to implement the protocol on adopting the regulation on organizing cooperation between border agencies and other agencies of the CIS states in rendering aid during the emergence and the settlement (liquidation) of crisis situations at external borders. The regulation is dated by 5 October 2007.
Deputy Defense Minister of Russia, Colonel-General Oleg Ostapenko has been appointed Chairman of the Coordinating committee for air defense matters under the Defense Ministers Council of the CIS states.
Following the relevant decision of the heads of state several politicians of Armenia, Belarus, and Ukraine were awarded a CIS certificate of merit for their active efforts to enhance and develop the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Ms Lyudmila Kamenkova of Belarus has been approved as the Presiding Judge of the CIS Economic Court.