BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

24/05/2008

CIS PMs meet in Minsk on strengthening cooperation

MOSCOW, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Prime ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) met in the Belarussian capital of Minsk Friday to discuss ways of consolidating cooperation and promoting integration.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attended the CIS Head-of-Government Council session, the first visit since he assumed the post. He proposed that the former Soviet republics prepare for the 65th anniversary of the Allied victory in 2010.

Economic cooperation will top the session agenda. Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky called on member states to complete the draft strategy on economic cooperation. He also pushed for a CIS re-structure to unify supervision and coordinate interests.

Belarus will take over the rotating presidency of the CIS head-of-government council from Ukraine this year and it is tasked with submitting a CIS strategic development plan.

The CIS Head-of-Government Council meets four times each year, with the host country rotating among member states. The next council meeting will be held in Moldova's capital Chisinau in October.

The CIS is made up of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Source:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/24/content_8241553.htm

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