MINSK, 21 June (BelTA) - Plans are in place to include the measures to align the CIS with the Eurasian Economic union in the CIS development concept, Andrei Grozov, Deputy Director of the First CIS Department at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BelTA has learned.
According to the Russian side, the work on updating the concept should focus, above all, on economic cooperation in the CIS. “In view of the fact that we now have the Eurasian Economic Union, we need to align the two integration associations,” Andrei Grozov said. This would help avoid creating additional barriers in trade and economic relations between the states that are part of the CIS but are not members of the EAEU, the diplomat added.
Andrei Grozov urged a careful approach to the update of the concept. “Many provisions remain valid today. We need to take account of the latest developments in the multilateral cooperation in the CIS,” Andrei Grozov noted. There are no plans to introduce fundamental changes to the document, he said.
Minsk is hosting a meeting of experts to review the proposals on the ways to update the CIS further development concept. During the meeting experts intend to examine the proposals from Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, the CIS Executive Committee.
The CIS further development concept was adopted in October 2007. It marked a qualitatively new stage in the development of the CIS. This policy document is aimed at meeting the main goal, namely to increase the impact of integration.
It provides for the evolutionary development of the CIS, preservation of the multifaceted nature of the Commonwealth, harmonious development of cooperating in all areas. The primary goal of the CIS is to turn, in the long term, into the integrated economic and political association of the relevant states and ensure the effective development of each member.
