CIS Convention on Cross-Regional Cooperation Came Into Force

The CIS Executive Committee reported that the Kyrgyz Republic implemented the internal procedures necessary for entry into force of the CIS Convention on Cross-Regional Cooperation. The note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic was received on 17 March 2020.

Thus, the Convention came into force being ratified by three countries. The notifications of the implementation of internal procedures by the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation were received on 12 April 2017 and 25 April 2018 respectively.

The Document is aimed at strengthening international legal framework of the cross-regional cooperation across the CIS for the development of friendly relations, trade, economic, scientific, technical, social, cultural, legal and humanitarian cooperation.

The Draft Convention was elaborated by the IPA CIS Permanent Commission on Practices of State-Building and Local Government. The Convention was signed at the meeting of the Council of the CIS Heads of State in Bishkek (the Kyrgyz Republic) on 16 September 2016 by the Republic of Armenia, the Republic Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan. Then the ratification process started.

After the entry into force of the Convention, it is open for accession by other countries of the Commonwealth, as well as third states, sharing its goals and principles.

The creation of a multilateral legal and legislative regulatory framework for cross-regional and cross-border cooperation within any integration association of states is not accidentally considered a priority. The signing of two Conventions – on Cross-Regional and Cross-Border cooperation – has become the reality of the parliamentary dimension in ensuring positive trends in economic cooperation in the post-Soviet space.

The CIS Interparliamentary Assembly attaches great importance to questions of cross-regional and cross-border, these issues have become the most relevant ones for its permanent commission. The Commission prepared draft Model Laws on Cross-Regional Cooperation, on Cross-Border Cooperation and on Role of Local Authorities in Cross-Border Cooperation. The issue of cross-border cooperation is reflected in other documents adopted by the IPA CIS.