Commonwealth of Independent States Celebrates 33 Anniversary of its Formation

On 8 December 1991, the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was signed. The document stated that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ceased to exist as “a subject of international law and geopolitical reality” and declared the creation of the CIS.

Since the signing of the Agreement, an intensive process of organization of interstate bodies of the CIS began, one of which became the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

During its existence, the CIS has become a leading platform for mutually beneficial cooperation and equal interstate and interparliamentary dialog, and has achieved significant success in developing institutions and mechanisms of cooperation and solving regional problems.

Cooperation is based on an extensive system of supreme and sectoral bodies that ensure interaction at the level of heads of state, governments, parliaments and supreme courts. 

According to the Concept of the CIS development, approved by the decision of the CIS Heads of State Council in 2020, the main distinguishing features of the Commonwealth are the organization of interaction in virtually all areas of interstate relations, flexibility of mechanisms and formats of collective cooperation based on the commonality of interests and tasks facing the Member States, mutual trust and respect. The experience of the Commonwealth today is actively borrowed by other regional organizations as an example of successful integration and partnership that meets the interests and needs of all members of the association.

In 2025, the chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States will pass from the Russian Federation to the Republic of Tajikistan.