St. Petersburg hosts informal CIS summit

The meeting was attended by Belarus President, as well as the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan (including the first President of this country), the heads of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The occasion for the meeting was the 30th anniversary of the CIS. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the new association not just united the former republics, but led them away from the economic abyss in the first place. And today, under conditions of external pressure and pandemics, no less urgent problems emerge. That is why timely political and economic contacts are so important including cooperation in the field of economy, security and health. The spread of new strains of coronavirus obliges the states to take prompt action.

In general, the ties preserved from the Soviet Union play a positive role - common communications, common enterprises, which work as partners, all this has not only survived, but advanced and developed to a completely new level. This gives us an opportunity to pass through the hard times of the pandemic. By preserving the opportunities and competitive advantages we inherited from the past we managed to overcome these difficulties even better than other countries in the world. We maintained and intend to maintain this relationship in the future.

The pandemic became the main theme of the summit in St. Petersburg. Russia provided great help in the fight against the disease to its CIS neighbors. It includes test systems, vaccine and technology transfer. Belarus was the first country in the post-Soviet space (after Russia) where Sputnik V was registered. The Chief Sanitary Doctor of Russia was also invited to the summit to discuss the current epidemic situation.

In addition to the pandemic, each of the Commonwealth countries has other problems. This year Belarus has faced unprecedented sanctions and external pressure. Considering these facts, there is one conclusion: we should stick together. It is important to combine efforts to defend one's interests in the world market.

Belarus' presidency strengthened the effectiveness of cooperation. The focus was on the economy. The mutual trade turnover increased by a third.

After that the negotiations proceeded behind the closed doors. The heads of states discusses the issues of common interest over an informal dinner.

Our President is going to stay in St. Petersburg for another day. Tomorrow there is a meeting scheduled between Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin. The heads of state will discuss the urgent issues of Belarusian-Russian cooperation. There will also be an informal part of the talks: the leaders are expected to play hockey.