About 20 items will be offered for consideration of the CIS heads of state. In view of the organization’s 35th anniversary that is due in 2026 plans have been made to consider a series of initiatives aimed at reinforcing the organization’s international positioning, in particular, initiatives on creating the CIS Plus format and on granting the CIS observer status to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Aleksandr Lukashenko was previously quoted as saying that Belarus welcomes the initiative to launch the CIS Plus format as a new platform of multilateral cooperation of the Commonwealth of Independent States with international partners. The Belarusian leader made the relevant statement in Minsk on 30 September at a meeting with heads of the government delegations, which were taking part in sessions of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the CIS Heads of Government Council.

The agenda of the Dushanbe session of the CIS Heads of State Council also includes matters concerning energy security, cooperation in defense, in border security, and in fight against transboundary crime.

Apart from that, a regular session of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States is scheduled to take place in Dushanbe on 9 October. Key items concerning the enhancement of multilateral interaction within the framework of the Commonwealth are on the session’s agenda.

Photo: BelTA