CIS Council of Permanent Representatives Holds Regular Meeting in Minsk

16 October 2019

CIS Council of Permanent Representatives Holds Regular Meeting in Minsk

A meeting of the Council of the Permanent Representatives of the CIS Member Nations at the Statutory and Other Bodies of the Commonwealth under the Presidency of Turkmenistan took place in the CIS Executive Committee in Minsk.

The members of the Council congratulated Sergey Lebedev on the extension of his term as Chairman of Executive Committee – Executive Secretary of the CIS by three years and the rewarding with State Award of Turkmenistan “Bitaraplyk” (“Neutrality”) for the active international effort and significant personal contribution to strengthening of friendship and cooperation among the countries and peoples. Permanent Plenipotentiary Representative of the Azerbaijan Republic, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Azerbaijan Republic to the Republic of Belarus Latif Gandilov awarded Sergey Lebedev with the commemorative medal “100th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Service of the Azerbaijan Republic”.

The participants discussed the results of the meetings of the Council of the CIS Heads of State, the Council of the CIS Foreign Ministers, as well as the role of the CIS Council of Permanent Representatives and the CIS Executive Committee in implementing the documents approved at the above-mentioned meetings. The members of the Council commended Turkmenistan for the hospitality and excellent organization of the events and congratulated Uzbekistan with the upcoming CIS Chairmanship in 2020.

The members of the Council discussed the preparation of the upcoming meeting of the Council of the CIS Heads of Government, which will be held in Moscow on 25 October. The draft agenda features 13 issues related to strengthening of cooperation in the field of digital development of the society, ensuring information security, as well as in the field of standardization, veterinary medicine, antitrust regulation, development of radio navigation and reclamation of the territories of the states exposed to uranium mining operations. Moreover, the documents concerning the tracing of soldiers missing during the war in Afghanistan in 1979–1989, search for location of graves, exhumation, identification of remains and reburial in their home countries, holding the CIS Games, cooperation in the field of trafficking in drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors are expected to be signed at the meeting. Extensive block of documents submitted for the consideration of the Heads of Government will be devoted to the issues of financial security of the activities of the CIS bodies.

The permanent plenipotentiary representatives were briefed on the implementation of the Action Plan of Organizational and Practical Events for the Preparation of the Council of the CIS Heads of Government and decided to facilitate the timely approval of the documents submitted for the consideration on the domestic level.

The participants discussed the activity of the CIS Advisory Board on Printed Media, Publishing and Readership established in June 1999. The report was presented by the Chair of the Advisory Board Ali Elbey Akif oglu. The participants of the meeting recommended proceeding with developing and implementing the joint programmes and projects in this field, promoting participation of the CIS countries in the book festivals and fairs across the Commonwealth, developing intercultural dialogue, supporting talented children and youth. The meeting highlighted the need to improve legislation in the field of free book exchange and readership across the CIS and joint work towards the creation, development and distribution of electronic versions in the CIS Member Nations.

The Council approved the candidacy of Sergey Lebedev as Head of the CIS Observer Team at the elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan to be held on 22 December 2019.

The next regular meeting of the CIS Council of Permanent Representatives of the CIS Member Nations at the Statutory and Other Bodies of the Commonwealth is scheduled for 19 November 2019.