Informal Meeting of CIS Heads of State Took Place in St. Petersburg

An informal meeting of the leaders of the CIS Member Nations took place at the Konstantin Palace.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the meeting at the invitation of President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

Before the informal summit, the participants visited the Pavlovsk, Tsarskoye Selo, and Peterhof state museum reserves.

At the meeting Vladimir Putin noted that outgoing year had been exceptionally active and intense for the CIS and had filled with large events and impressive initiatives. He thanked President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov for all the work that had been done during Kyrgyzstan’s presidency in the CIS and noted that Russia, which would take over the CIS presidency next year, would continue our multifaceted integration activity. The Russian Federation has already presented a concept for its presidency and an action plan for its implementation, which includes about 150 items.

In 2024, close attention will be paid to further strengthening economic cooperation within the CIS, harmonization of the CIS legal and regulatory framework, and cultural and humanitarian interaction. The closest cooperation of the Commonwealth countries is needed in combating attempts to falsify history and glorification of Nazism.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin once again noted the importance of the establishment of the International Organization for the Russian Language at the initiative of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Headquartered in Sochi, this entity is designed to support and promote the Russian language in the CIS and beyond. It was noted at the meeting that the Russian language is the most important consolidating element of the post-Soviet space, the key to mutual understanding and free communication for hundreds of millions of residents of the CIS countries.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin invited representatives of the CIS countries to participate in the implementation of such projects as the Eurasian Academy of Film Arts and the Eurasian Film Award, and the Intervision popular song contest.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin thanked Belarusian colleagues for successfully hosting the second Commonwealth Games in Belarus in August. In February 2024, Kazan will host the innovative Games of the Future. The World Youth Festival in Sochi to be held on 1–7 March 2024 will come as another major international event. Young people from more than 180 countries, including the CIS countries, will attend it.

Within the framework of the informal summit, a number of bilateral meeting of the CIS Heads of State were held.