BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

28/11/2006

Ex-Soviet leaders meet on CIS reform

MINSK, Belarus, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Heads of state from the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States met in Belarus Tuesday to discuss overhauling the post-Soviet alliance.

The 12-nation bloc was set up 15 years ago after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but has since come under criticism from within and from outside for being too cumbersome and ineffective, Russia's Novosti news agency reported from Minsk.

An unidentified Kremlin official told the agency other issues to be addressed at the meeting this week are improving cooperation to prevent human trafficking and smuggling, and the protection of judges trying criminal cases.

The commonwealth also will discuss plans for conducting censuses under a U.N. program aiming to collect better demographic data to improve socio-economic decision-making, the report said.

Source:

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20061128-091253-9881r