Territory of CIS countries. Commonwealth of Independents: who, when and why created the CIS

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COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS), community former republics Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Formed in accordance with the agreement signed on December 8, 1991 in Viskuli (the seat of the government of Belarus) by the leaders of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, as well as with the protocol to the said agreement, which was signed on December 21, 1991 in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) by the leaders of 11 -ty republics of the former USSR: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan), Moldova (Moldova), Russian Federation, Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan and Ukraine . In December 1993 Georgia joined the CIS. Of the former Soviet republics, the CIS did not include Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. In August 2005, Turkmenistan ceased its permanent membership and is currently an associate member of the CIS.

According to the Charter of the CIS (approved by the heads of member states in January 1993), the Commonwealth is not a state and does not have supranational powers. It is based on the principles of sovereign equality of all its members, each of which is an independent and equal subject international law.

Commonwealth Goals:

- implementation of cooperation between the Member States in the political, economic, legal, cultural, environmental, humanitarian and other fields, cooperation in ensuring international peace and security, as well as achieving disarmament;

- creation of a common economic space, ensuring interstate cooperation and integration in the interests of a comprehensive and balanced economic and social development of the member states;

- mutual assistance in order to create peaceful conditions the lives of peoples, ensuring collective security;

– peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts between participating countries;

– assistance to citizens of the member states in free communication, contacts and movement within the territory of the countries that are members of the Commonwealth.

Relations between the CIS member states are based on the principles of respect for the sovereignty, self-determination and territorial integrity of countries and non-interference in their foreign policy and internal affairs, the inviolability of existing borders, the non-use of force and the resolution of disputes by peaceful means, as well as the rule of international law.

The total territory of the states that are members of the CIS (excluding the territory of Turkmenistan) is 21.6 million square meters. km., population - St. 275 million people (2006). The headquarters of the Commonwealth is located in Minsk (Belarus). Approx. 10% of the world's industrial potential and almost 25% of the world's proven natural resources.

The working language of the CIS is Russian. The Commonwealth has its own official symbols and flag.

The history of the formation of the CIS.

The initial agreement on the creation of the CIS was signed in Belovezhskaya Pushcha on December 8, 1991 by Stanislav Shushkevich, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Belarus, Boris Yeltsin, President of the Russian Federation, and Leonid Kravchuk, President of Ukraine. They announced the termination of negotiations organized by the President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to conclude a new union treaty, which was designed to reform the USSR. Gorbachev called the Belavezha agreement unconstitutional and declared that only the Congress of People's Deputies had the right to dissolve the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, on December 10, the decision to create the CIS was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Supreme Council of Belarus, and on December 12 - by the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation. The 1922 treaty establishing the USSR was declared cancelled. On December 13, after two days of negotiations in Ashgabat (the capital of Turkmenistan), the heads of state of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan declared their desire to join the Commonwealth being created, Azerbaijan and Armenia expressed similar intentions. On December 17, Gorbachev and Yeltsin reached an agreement on the dissolution of the USSR. December 21, 1991 in Alma-Ata, a meeting of the leaders of 11 former republics of the USSR; Georgia sent its observers to it. The meeting participants finally confirmed the end of the existence of the USSR. They adopted the Alma-Ata Declaration, reaffirming the mutual recognition of sovereignty and inviolability of borders, as well as the intention to implement comprehensive cooperation and fulfill the international obligations of the former USSR. The Commonwealth was declared open both to the former republics of the Soviet Union and to other states that agreed with its principles and goals. The permanent seat of the USSR in the UN Security Council was recognized for Russia.

The participants of the meeting agreed to create coordinating bodies (Councils of Heads of State and Heads of Government), to retain the overall command of the military-strategic forces and overall control over nuclear weapons. Four republics that had nuclear weapons on their territory (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine) agreed to comply with and ratify the START treaty concluded by the USSR (a treaty on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms, signed between the USSR and the USA in Moscow on July 31, 1991); Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have agreed to deliver their tactical nuclear weapons to Russia for destruction under joint control.

Until December 26, 1991, the Alma-Ata agreements were ratified by the parliaments of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Georgia did not join the Commonwealth.

The first meeting of the heads of 11 CIS states took place on December 30, 1991 in Minsk. During it, an agreement was signed recognizing the need for a joint command of strategic nuclear forces and joint arms control. mass destruction, which was in service with the former USSR. With regard to conventional weapons, the CIS states have recognized the principle of creating national armies in the former Soviet republics ah, subordinate to the supreme command of the CIS. The issue of creating the armed forces of the CIS was also discussed at the second meeting of heads of state, which took place on January 16, 1992 in Moscow. At the third meeting (Minsk, February 14, 1992), the leaders of 8 member states agreed in principle to maintain a unified command of the armed forces for two years. However, differences of opinion remained between the Community countries on this issue. At the fourth summit meeting, held in Kyiv on March 20, 1992, an agreement was reached on the division of powers in military matters. In accordance with them, the armed forces of the CIS were to include in their composition strategic forces and joint-purpose forces (peacekeeping forces modeled on the "blue helmets" of the UN). This decision was recognized only by Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In May 1992, at the fifth meeting in Tashkent, the heads of state of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signed a pact on collective security (mutual military assistance) and agreed in principle on joint border control. In July of the same year, a decision was made to send peacekeeping forces to "hot spots" in the CIS; Azerbaijan did not agree with this decision.

Acute disputes between Russia and Ukraine on the problems of the division of the Black Sea Fleet of the former USSR and the general command of strategic weapons were settled after reaching the appropriate agreements between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine (June 1992).

Disagreements between the CIS states also existed on a number of other issues. In March 1992, the chairmen of the parliaments of the member states discussed the creation of a parliamentary assembly of the Commonwealth, whose tasks were to include the discussion and adoption of inter-republican laws. The delegations of Azerbaijan, Moldova, Ukraine and Turkmenistan did not sign an agreement on this issue. Differences in views on economic cooperation persisted, incl. regarding the preservation of the ruble zone. At the sixth summit meeting (Moscow, August 1992), President of Ukraine Kravchuk refused to join the signed agreements on the establishment of a joint economic court and a common missile defense system. An agreement was signed on the withdrawal of a number of former republics from the ruble zone. Countries that expressed a desire to keep the ruble as a currency (Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Uzbekistan) agreed to pursue a common monetary policy under the leadership of the Russian Central Bank. It was also decided to send CIS peacekeeping forces to conflict zones in the territory of the former Soviet Union. In October 1992, at the seventh meeting of the leaders of states, held in Bishkek, it was decided to send the CIS peacekeeping forces to Tajikistan, where a civil war was going on. It was not possible to agree on the formation of a central Economic Cooperation Council, it was only decided to create an advisory committee on economic issues. The heads of state of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on the preservation of the ruble as a currency and the principle of creating a common Central Bank. The parliament of Azerbaijan, where the opposition Popular Front came to power, refused to ratify the agreement on the creation of the CIS, and the delegation of this country participated in the meeting in the status of an observer.

The adoption of the CIS Charter during the eighth summit meeting (Minsk, January 22, 1993) was again accompanied by controversy. The document was supported by the leaders of 7 states (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus); the heads of Moldova, Ukraine and Turkmenistan rejected it, considering the powers assigned to the coordinating bodies of the Commonwealth to be excessive. In March 1993, the defense ministers of 6 countries reached an agreement to strengthen military cooperation, however, the plan to create a common armed forces was not agreed upon (Russia considered it too expensive). In June 1993, a decision was made to abolish the post of Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Commonwealth and form a Joint Headquarters to coordinate cooperation in the military field.

At the 9th summit meeting (Moscow, May 1993), the heads of 9 states approved the proposal of the presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia on the creation of an economic union in the future, modeled on the European Union. This was opposed by the President of Turkmenistan S.A. Niyazov, who insisted on cooperation on the basis of bilateral agreements. In August of the same year, the presidents of Russia (B.N. Yeltsin), Kazakhstan (N.A. Nazarbayev) and Uzbekistan (I.A. Karimov) signed an agreement in Moscow, which provided for the formation of an economic and monetary union open to the accession of others. states. It was supposed to keep the ruble as a common currency; Armenia supported the idea of ​​creating a ruble zone. However, this agreement was not implemented, in November Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Armenia introduced their own currencies.

By the end of 1993, two unofficial groups of states formed within the CIS. One of them (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) advocated greater coordination and expansion of cooperation in the field of foreign policy, defense, monetary policy, economy and transport). The other (Turkmenistan and Ukraine) showed interest in limited cooperation, emphasizing the protection of their national interests. The situation was aggravated by acute conflicts in a number of CIS countries (civil war in Tajikistan, the conflict in Transnistria and the Armenian-Azerbaijani war). In addition, the Central Asian states were interested, first of all, in closer cooperation with each other and in developing relations with neighboring Muslim countries - Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. With Heydar Aliyev coming to power in Azerbaijan in 1993, this country returned to the CIS. The head of state of Georgia, E. Shevardnadze, began to pursue a policy of rapprochement with the Commonwealth, and in December of the same year, Georgia became a member of it. At the next meeting of heads of state and government (Moscow, September 1993), the prime ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on the creation of an economic union, which Georgia also joined. Turkmenistan became an associate member of the union in December 1993, and Ukraine in April 1994. The members of the union called for the formation of a common economic space based on the free movement of goods, services, labor and capital, on the development of an agreed monetary, tax, price, customs and foreign economic policy, on the convergence of methods of regulation economic activity and creating favorable conditions for the development of direct industrial relations. In April 1994, Moldova ratified the CIS treaty, thus officially becoming its full member. At the same time, she stated that she still did not intend to take part in the coordination of foreign policy activities and policies in the field of migration (these reservations were withdrawn by Moldova in October 2002). In April 1994, at a regular summit meeting in Moscow, a number of economic agreements were signed and the mandate of the CIS peacekeeping forces in Tajikistan was extended, and in October of the same year a convention on the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities was adopted.

The institutions of the Commonwealth gradually took shape. The duties of the executive secretary of the CIS were assigned in 1993 to Ivan Korochenya. At the summit meeting in Ashgabat (December 1993), the post of chairman of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS was established, the first chairman was Russian President Yeltsin. In February 1994, Vladimir Shumeiko, chairman of the Federation Council of Russia, took over as chairman of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. In October 1994, at a meeting of heads of state, government, ministers of foreign affairs and defense, the interstate commission for Economic Affairs, headquartered in Moscow. In February 1995, the presidents of the CIS countries approved in Alma-Ata a memorandum on maintaining peace and stability; Commonwealth states pledged to refrain from exerting political, economic or other pressure on each other. In May 1995, the CIS heads of state signed an agreement in Minsk on the establishment of an interstate committee on monetary and financial issues, designed to coordinate the financial and credit policy of the CIS.

The greatest difficulties arose with the coordination of questions of the military policy of the Commonwealth. The participants in the summit meeting held in May 1995 extended the mandate of the CIS peacekeeping forces in Tajikistan and Abkhazia. However, a number of states (Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine) refused to join the agreement on the joint protection of external borders and the general convention on human rights.

Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia agreed to create a customs union, however, at the next meeting of the heads of state and government in Minsk (January 1996), it was not possible to achieve its expansion (only Kyrgyzstan joined it in March of the same year). The leaders of the CIS countries extended the mandate of the peacekeeping forces in Tajikistan and reached an agreement on a joint air defense system. Ukraine refused to participate in its creation. In May 1996, at a meeting in Moscow, the heads of government approved an integration plan for 1996-1997 and a joint program to combat economic and organized crime. In March 1997, at a meeting of the presidents of 12 CIS countries, the formation of a commission to resolve regional conflicts was agreed.

Speaking at the CIS summit in October 1997 in Chisinau, Russian President Yeltsin said that the Commonwealth was not working effectively, and many agreements were not being implemented (for example, agreements on the creation of the Central Bank, on the economic community of the Central Asian republics, on an economic union, on a common economic space, etc.). He demanded the reorganization of the CIS. At the next meeting of the leaders of states in April 1998 in Moscow, a new executive secretary of the Commonwealth was appointed - Boris Berezovsky (representative of Russia). But already in March 1999 he was removed "for activities incompatible with the position." In April 1999, the heads of the CIS countries approved Yuri Yarov (RF) as the CIS Executive Secretary.

Disagreements in the Commonwealth persisted in con. 1990s At the April 1999 meeting of the presidents, it was not possible to agree on the extension of the collective security treaty signed in May 1992 (Moldova, Turkmenistan and Ukraine did not join it). The agreement expired on April 20, 1999. Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed a protocol renewing the agreement for the next five years. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan refused to extend it.

The CIS states, which were supporters of closer rapprochement, continued to strive for further interaction. On March 29, 1996, the presidents of Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan signed an agreement in Moscow on deepening integration in the economic and humanitarian fields. It was aimed at creating a closer association (“Community of Integrated States”), expanding cooperation in the economy, science, culture and social sphere while maintaining the sovereignty of the parties. It was envisaged to create mechanisms for coordinating foreign policy, a common system of security and border security, as well as the creation of an interstate council (headed by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko) and a parity inter-parliamentary committee. On April 2, 1996, the presidents of Belarus and Russia signed an agreement in Moscow establishing the Commonwealth of Sovereign Republics. According to this document, both states pledged to closely cooperate in the field of foreign policy, economics and military issues, it was planned to create joint bodies: the Council (with the participation of heads of state, government and parliaments) and a parity Parliamentary Assembly. On April 2, 1997, an agreement was signed on the union of Russia and Belarus. In February 1999, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan approved the creation of a common economic space; Tajikistan joined the customs union.

After Yeltsin's resignation, the new President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, was elected Chairman of the Council of CIS Heads of State in January 2000. In the beginning. 2000, the Foreign Ministers agreed on the withdrawal of peacekeeping formations from Tajikistan in connection with the settlement of the situation in the country, as well as on the extension of the mandate of the peacekeeping forces in Abkhazia. In June 2000, the presidents of the CIS countries adopted a statement refusing to revise the Soviet-American ABM agreement of 1972. It was also decided to create a joint Anti-Terrorist Center in Moscow to fight organized crime and religious fundamentalism.

In the beginning. In the 2000s, two camps actually formed in the CIS. On the one hand, supporters of greater integration (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan) in October 2000 transformed the customs union into the Eurasian Economic Community (Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine joined as observers). In October 2005, Uzbekistan also announced its intention to join the community. In 2002, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed an agreement establishing the Collective Security Treaty Organization. In February 2003, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement at a meeting in Novo-Ogarevo on the formation of the Common Economic Space (CES). The interstate commission on trade and tariffs, not subordinate to the governments of the participating states, was to become the coordinating body of the CES. The CES was declared open for other countries to join it. The possibility of introducing a single currency in the future was allowed.

In January 2003, President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma was elected Chairman of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS. The influence of the adherents of strengthening the CIS was reflected in September 2003 at the summit meeting in Yalta. The leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine approved the formation of the Common Economic Space. At the suggestion of the CIS foreign ministers, statements were approved on the basic principles of economic cooperation, decisions on the creation of a joint commission for cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration, on the extension of the term of office of the head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center and the commander of the CIS Collective Peacekeeping Forces in Abkhazia. In June 2004, Russian representative Vladimir Rushailo became the CIS executive secretary. In September of the same year, at a summit meeting in Astana, Putin was elected the new chairman of the CIS Council of Heads of State.

On the other hand, there has been a rapprochement between states that did not want integration with the participation of Russia. In October 1997, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine formed their own group to strengthen cooperation in the field of trade, economy and transport communications, as well as to strengthen regional security. Uzbekistan joined in April 1999; the organization was named GUUAM (after the first letters of the names of the participating countries). In the beginning. In the 2000s, the participating countries took a number of measures to revive its activities, focusing primarily on the trade in Caspian oil and other resources in Western markets. In 2002 they announced the creation of a free trade zone. But the differences between the GUUAM member countries made the emerging union unstable. Uzbekistan's participation was not active, and Ukraine, which was interested in Russian gas supplies, simultaneously sought mutual understanding with the Eurasian Economic Community.

GUUAM's activities intensified after the change of power in Georgia and Ukraine (the so-called "color revolutions") in 2003-2004. The policy of the new presidents of Georgia (Mikhail Saakashvili) and Ukraine (Viktor Yushchenko) was focused on joining NATO and cooperation with the EU. Representatives of several GUUAM countries issued statements expressing doubts about the potential and future role of the CIS. Thus, in September 2003, Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin expressed dissatisfaction with the creation of the CES, which allegedly harmed the CIS. In November 2004, Georgian Defense Minister G. Baramidze stated that the CIS is "yesterday". In February 2006, Georgia officially withdrew from the Council of CIS Defense Ministers, citing its intention to join NATO. In April 2005, the Minister of Economy of Ukraine stated that it was problematic for the further development of the CIS, and his country could reduce contributions to the Commonwealth budget. On the contrary, the anti-government uprising in Uzbekistan in the spring of 2005 and Western condemnation of measures to suppress the rebellion contributed to Uzbekistan's withdrawal from GUUAM. Turkmenistan in August 2005 moved from full to associate membership in the CIS.

Competence and main activities of the CIS.

According to the Charter of the CIS, the areas of joint activity of the member states of the Commonwealth include:

- Ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms;

– coordination of foreign policy activities;

– cooperation in the formation and development of a common economic space, the pan-European and Eurasian markets, as well as customs policy;

– cooperation in the development of transport and communication systems;

– health care and environment;

– issues of social and migration policy;

– fight against organized crime;

- cooperation in the field of defense policy and protection of external borders.

Cooperation in the economic, social and legal fields, according to the Charter, was supposed to be in the following areas:

– formation of a common economic space based on market relations and free movement of goods, services, capital and labor;

- coordination of social policy, development of joint social programs and measures to reduce social tension in connection with the implementation of economic reforms;

– development of transport and communication systems, energy systems; coordination of credit and financial policy;

- assistance in the development of trade and economic relations of the Member States;

– encouragement and mutual protection of investments;

– promotion of standardization and certification of industrial products and goods;

– legal protection of intellectual property;

– promoting the development of a common information space;

– implementation of joint environmental protection measures, provision of mutual assistance in eliminating the consequences of environmental disasters and other emergencies;

– implementation of joint projects and programs in the field of science and technology, education, healthcare, culture and sports;

– conclusion of bilateral and multilateral agreements on the provision of legal assistance; convergence in the sphere of national legislation.

The main agreements and projects in this area are:

- the formation of the "Common Economic Space" (CES, proclaimed in 2003 by Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine). As of April 2006, an organizational group is operating, drafts of 38 basic documents are being developed, which form the basis of the CES, within the next 2–3 years after their ratification, it is planned to establish the functioning of the Customs Union;

- joint programs: "Interstate Target Program for the Development of the Corps of CIS Forces to Eliminate the Consequences of Natural and Technogenic Emergencies" (November 1998; participants - Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine; Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan temporarily suspended its participation); "Interstate Radio Navigation Program" (March 2001; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine participate); interstate program "Use of natural gas as motor fuel for motor vehicles" (March 2001; participants - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine); "Interstate Comprehensive Program for the Rehabilitation of War Veterans, Participants in Local Conflicts and Victims of Terrorism" (May 2001; Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine); "Interstate program for creating a network of information and marketing centers to promote goods and services on the national markets of the CIS member states" (November 2001; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine); "Interstate program for the implementation of the concept of the formation of a single (common) educational space of the CIS" (November 2001; Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Tajikistan); "Program of the main measures of cooperation of the CIS member states in the field of culture" (November 2001; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine); "Program of urgent measures to combat the AIDS epidemic" (May 2002; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine); "Program of Joint Actions for the Prevention and Control of FMD in Commonwealth Countries" (April 2004; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine); "Agreement on humanitarian cooperation of the CIS member states" (August 2005).

In the field of collective security and military-political cooperation, the following tasks are put forward:

- harmonization of policies in the field of international security, disarmament and arms control, as well as the policy of building up the armed forces;

– maintaining security in the Commonwealth, incl. with the help of military observer groups and collective peacekeeping forces;

- organization of mutual consultations in order to coordinate the positions of the CIS states in the event of a threat to the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of one or more member states, or international peace; taking measures to eliminate the emerging threat, including peacekeeping operations and the use of armed forces;

- coordination of the activities of the border troops and other services exercising control over the security of the external borders of the CIS states;

– taking measures to resolve disputes and conflicts between the CIS countries;

– cooperation in the field of combating crime and terrorism.

May 15, 1992 in Tashkent, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed the "CIS Collective Security Treaty". Later, Azerbaijan (September 24, 1993), Georgia (December 9, 1993) and Belarus (December 31, 1993) joined it. The treaty entered into force on April 20, 1994. It confirmed the intention of states to renounce the use of force or the threat of its use, not to join military alliances and consider aggression against one of the participating states as aggression against all signatories of the treaty. October 7, 2002 Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed a charter on the creation of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The main interstate agreements governing cooperation between the CIS countries in the military-political sphere and the field of security are: "The program for the implementation of the Agreement on cooperation in the training and advanced training of military personnel for the border troops (October 9, 1997; participants - Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan); "Program of military-technical cooperation of the CIS member states" (October 7, 2002; Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine); program "Creation and development of a unified air defense system of the CIS member states" (October 7, 2002; Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan); "Program for improving cooperation between the CIS member states in the border area" (October 7, 2002; Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan); "Program of cooperation in combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors" (September 16, 2004; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine); "Interstate program of joint measures to combat crime" (September 16, 2004; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine).

At a summit meeting of the CIS countries in August 2005 in Kazan, new documents were approved that regulate cooperation between the Commonwealth states in this area: "The concept of military cooperation until 2010", "The concept of a coordinated border policy", "Program of cooperation in combating illegal migration for 2006– 2008”, “Program of Cooperation in Combating Terrorism and Other Violent Extremism for 2005-2007”.

Financing of the CIS.

The activities of the CIS bodies and the implementation of joint programs are financed by the Commonwealth countries on the basis of the share participation of the member states. Expenses are set in accordance with special agreements on the budgets of the CIS bodies. Budgets are approved by the Council of Heads of State on the proposal of the Council of Heads of Government of the participating States. The Council of Heads of Government determines the procedure for considering issues of financial and economic activities of the Commonwealth bodies. Expenses associated with the participation in the work of meetings and CIS bodies of representatives of individual member states, experts and consultants, are borne by these states themselves.

When creating the executive bodies of the CIS in 1993, the participating countries agreed to pay their share of the costs, based on the capabilities of the national budget. Thus, in 2004, the contributions of states to the single budget of the CIS bodies were planned in the amount of 251,670.2 thousand Russian rubles. The contributions of individual countries were (in thousand rubles): Russia - 112,139.8 (44.6%), Ukraine - 25,534 (10.1%), Kazakhstan - 16,471.2 (6.5%), Belarus - 16,360.3 (6.5%), Uzbekistan - 13,472 (5.4%), Armenia - 12,346.8 (4.9%), Kyrgyzstan - 12,264.3 (4.9%), Tajikistan - 12196.7 (4.8%), Georgia - 9164.7 (3.6%), Moldova - 9133.4 (3.6%), Azerbaijan - 8240.4 (3.3%), Turkmenistan - 4346 .6 (1.7%). Contributions were due on a monthly basis. The amounts paid were intended for the maintenance of the Commonwealth bodies and the holding of meetings of the Councils of Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Economic Council of the CIS. According to the approved draft budget, out of 251,670.2 thousand rubles for the activities of the CIS bodies. expenses were allocated 137,025.6 thousand rubles. (54.4%), of which for the activities of the Executive Committee of the CIS - 116,530.8 thousand rubles, the Interstate Statistical Committee of the CIS - 20,494.8 thousand rubles. 20,532.7 thousand rubles were allocated for the activities of the CIS Economic Court (resolution of disputes arising in the sphere of economic relations of the member states). (8.2%). For international activities (support and development of contacts with international organizations in the economic, military-political, peacekeeping, social and other fields) - 1333.6 thousand rubles. (0.5%). For cooperation in the field law enforcement and security, 62,347.2 thousand rubles were allocated. (24.8%), of which for the activities of the Bureau for the Coordination of Combating Organized Crime and Other Types of Crimes on the Territory of the Member States - 18,305 thousand rubles, for the activities of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center - 27,005.9 thousand rubles, for the Coordination Service of the Council of Commanders of the Border Troops - 17,036.3 thousand rubles. An amount of 30,431.1 rubles was allocated for military cooperation between the CIS states. (12.1%), including 28,470 thousand rubles. for the activities of the Headquarters for the Coordination of Military Cooperation and 1961.1 thousand rubles. for the work of the Interstate Coordination Center for perpetuating the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland. Expenses for the activities of the Interim Operational Working Group on the Settlement of the Conflict in Abkhazia were not included in the CIS budget.

The CIS Executive Committee has the right in the course of budget execution to make changes to the functional, departmental and economic structure of expenditures.

The incomplete transfer by the member states of the Commonwealth of equity contributions to the budget of the CIS (the debt for 2001-2002 was 115.6 million rubles), as indicated in the documents at the summit meeting of the CIS heads of state in Yalta (2003), “put all Commonwealth bodies into the most difficult financial situation and led to the impossibility of their normal functioning and the fulfillment of the tasks assigned to them in full. The participants of the meeting considered it expedient to allow the Executive Committee to create a stabilization fund for the CIS budget (using the funds received to pay off the debt, interest, realizable property and valuables, etc.).

At the summit meeting in Astana (September 2004), the CIS budget for 2005 was planned in the amount of 296,510.7 thousand rubles. Contributions (in percentage terms) were distributed among the countries as follows: Russia - 44.5, Ukraine - 10.6, Kazakhstan - 6.5, Belarus - 6.4, Uzbekistan - 5.5, Armenia - 4.7, Kyrgyzstan - 4.7, Tajikistan 4.7, Georgia 3.7, Moldova 3.6, Azerbaijan 3.3 and Turkmenistan 1.8. However, at the meeting of the heads of governments of the CIS countries (Tbilisi, June 2005), most countries called for a review of the financing procedure. In particular, the idea of ​​establishing a funding rate depending on the size of the GDP of each country was put forward. The question of the principles of future financing will be decided within the framework of the planned reform of the CIS and its institutions.

Institutes and bodies of the CIS.

The interaction of the CIS member states is carried out through a number of coordinating bodies.

Statutory bodies.

In accordance with the 1993 CIS Charter, the supreme body of the Commonwealth is the Council of Heads of State (CHS), formed simultaneously with the creation of the CIS. All Member States are represented in it. The Council discusses and resolves the fundamental issues of the Commonwealth related to the common interests of the states, as well as any issues of interest to these states. The CHS makes decisions regarding the introduction of amendments to the CIS Charter, the creation of new or the abolition of existing CIS bodies, as well as the organization of the structure of the Commonwealth and the activities of its bodies. He is authorized to hear reports on the activities of the Commonwealth bodies, approve their leaders, etc. Council meetings, according to the charter, are held twice a year, and extraordinary meetings - at the initiative of one of the member states. Recently, meetings have been held once a year. Decisions in the CHS are made on the basis of general consent (consensus). Any member state may declare its disinterest in resolving a particular issue, however, this does not serve as an obstacle to decision-making by other members of the Commonwealth. The chairmanship in the CHS is carried out alternately by the heads of state on the basis of the principle of rotation for a period of not more than a year (with the possibility of extension). At the meeting of the CHS in September 2004 in Astana, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin was elected Chairman of the CHS.

The Council of Heads of Government (CGP) coordinates the cooperation between the executive authorities of the CIS member states in economic, social and other areas of common interest. He carries out the instructions given by the Council of Heads of State; implements the provisions on the establishment of an economic union and a free trade zone; adopts joint programs for the development of industry, agriculture, transport, communications, energy, science and technology, as well as cooperation in the areas of tariff, credit, financial and tax policies. The SGP creates the bodies of the Commonwealth within its competence and approves their leaders, and also resolves issues of financial support for the activities of the CIS bodies. The Council meets twice a year; Extraordinary meetings may be convened at the initiative of any of the Member States. The principles of decision-making and chairmanship in the CHP are the same as in the CHG. The Chairman of the SPC is the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Fradkov.

The Council of Foreign Ministers (CMFA, formed in 1993) coordinates the foreign policy activities of the CIS member states. Its members are the ministers of foreign affairs of the participating countries. According to the regulation approved by the SPC on April 2, 1999, the Council of Foreign Ministers is the main executive body that ensures cooperation on major foreign policy issues of mutual interest. It acts during the period between the meetings of the CHS and the CHP, making decisions on their behalf; organizes the implementation of the decisions of these bodies; promotes the development of cooperation in the field of foreign policy and diplomacy, in the humanitarian and legal spheres; seeks ways to peacefully resolve conflicts and disputes; promotes the establishment of an environment of peace, harmony and stability, the strengthening of friendship and international cooperation. The Ministerial Council considers the implementation of the decisions of the CHS and CHP, international treaties and agreements concluded within the CIS; gives conclusions and final recommendations on the draft agenda of the meetings of the CHS and CHP; conducts consultations among participating States; organizes their interaction in the UN and other international organizations, etc. Meetings are usually held on the eve of meetings in the CHS and CHP. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov is the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The Council of Defense Ministers (CMO) was formed by decision of the CHS in February 1992 as an organ of the Council of Heads of State on issues of military policy and military construction. The CMO includes the defense ministers of the CIS states (with the exception of Moldova, Turkmenistan and Ukraine) and the chief of staff for coordinating military cooperation between the CIS countries. The tasks of the Council include considering the concepts of military policy and military cooperation of the CIS states and submitting relevant proposals for consideration by the CHS, as well as coordinating military cooperation and organizing the activities of a group of military observers and collective peacekeeping forces in the CIS. The CMO is called upon to develop proposals for coordinating the efforts of member states in the field of preventing armed conflicts, the convergence of regulatory legal acts in the field of military construction and social protection of servicemen and persons discharged from military service. CMO meetings are held at least once every four months. The Council is chaired by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov. The CFR bodies are the Headquarters for the Coordination of Military Cooperation between the CIS countries and the Secretariat of the CFR. Since 1995, the Coordinating Committee on Air Defense Matters has been operating under the CFR.

The Council of Commanders of the Border Troops (SKPV) was established by the decision of the CHS of July 6, 1992 as a collegial body of the CHS and CHP on issues of coordinating the protection of the external borders of the CIS and economic zones participating countries. It consists of commanders or chiefs of border troops or other authorized representatives of the Commonwealth member states (with the exception of Azerbaijan, Moldova and Ukraine), as well as the chairman of the Coordinating Service of the Council of Commanders. The SKPV is called upon to coordinate efforts to implement the decisions of the CHS, the CHP and its own decisions regarding border issues; coordinate the actions of the border troops for the protection of external borders and economic zones; contribute to the strengthening of the border troops of the participating countries and cooperation between them. Chairman of the Council - Vladimir Pronichev. SKPV meetings are held at least once a quarter; the permanent working body is the Coordinating Service.

The Economic Court of the CIS, in accordance with the Charter of the Commonwealth, operates to ensure the fulfillment of economic obligations within the CIS. It was formed in accordance with an agreement on measures to ensure the improvement of settlements between economic organizations Commonwealth countries (May 15, 1992) and the agreement on the status of the Economic Court (July 6, 1992). The parties to the agreement are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The competence of the Court includes the resolution of economic disputes between the states parties to the agreement that arise in the performance of economic obligations within the Commonwealth, and the resolution of questions about the compliance of normative and other acts of states with these obligations and relevant agreements. Disputes are considered at the request of the interested states and institutions of the CIS. In addition, the Economic Court, when considering specific cases or at the request of states and institutions of the Commonwealth, gives an interpretation of the application of the provisions of agreements and acts of the CIS, as well as acts of the former USSR. In accordance with the agreement between the CIS and the Euro-Asian Economic Community dated March 3, 2004, the CIS Economic Court also performs the functions of the court of this organization.

The Economic Court consists of an equal number of judges from each of the participating States. Judges are elected or appointed for a ten-year term by states from among judges of economic and arbitration courts and other specialists. The Economic Court is located in Minsk. The chairmen of the court and his deputies are elected by the judges by a majority of votes and are approved by the CHS for a five-year term. Since March 2003 Anara Kerimbayeva has been the chairman of the court. The highest collegial body of the Economic Court is the plenum, which includes judges of the Economic Court and chairmen of the highest economic courts of the eight states parties to the agreement. The chairman of the plenum is the chairman of the court, the secretary of the plenum is elected by its members for a term of five years. The Plenum meets at least once a quarter.

The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (IPA) is an interstate body for cooperation between the parliaments of the CIS countries. It was formed as a consultative institution for discussing issues and draft documents of mutual interest on March 27, 1992 on the basis of the Alma-Ata agreement signed by the heads of the parliaments of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. By 1995, the IPA also included the parliaments of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova, and in 1999 - the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. In May 1995, the heads of state of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and in 1997 Moldova signed the convention on the IPA, according to which it became an interstate body to address issues of convergence and harmonization of legislative acts of the Commonwealth countries on the basis of model legislative acts and recommendations adopted by it. Thus, the IPA has developed acts and recommendations concerning the social rights and guarantees of citizens, the protection of consumer rights, labor migration, the protection of civilians, the rights of prisoners of war, etc.; works on the creation of legislative mechanisms for the formation of a common cultural space and a free trade zone, coordination of policies in the field of science and technology, environmental protection, as well as the fight against crime and corruption. The Assembly makes recommendations on synchronizing the ratification of interstate and international treaties by the parliaments of the CIS countries. As part of the implementation peacekeeping in the Commonwealth, the IPA Council formed commissions to resolve conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria, Abkhazia and Tajikistan. On the initiative of the IPA, the annual St. Petersburg Economic Forums are held. Anniversary, 10th forum was held in June 2006; 975 delegates from 50 countries took part in its work.

Delegations of the parliaments of ten CIS member states take part in the plenary sessions of the IPA (held at least twice a year). The organization of the activities of the IPA is entrusted to its Council, which consists of the heads of parliamentary delegations and meets four times a year. The Chairman of the Council of the Assembly is the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of Russia Sergey Mironov. The preparation of the events of the IPA and its Council is carried out by the Secretariat (located in St. Petersburg) with the institute of permanent representatives of national parliaments. The General Secretary of the Council is Mikhail Krotov; permanent representatives of parliaments are ex officio deputy secretaries general.

There are also standing commissions of the IPA: legal matters; in Economics and Finance; on social policy and human rights; on ecology and natural resources; on defense and security issues; on science and education; on culture, information, tourism and sports; on foreign policy issues; to study the experience of state building and local self-government; there is also a control and budget commission.

The IPA maintains contractual relations with the Parliamentary Assembly of Northern Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Central American Parliament, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, etc.

The CIS Human Rights Commission is a body that monitors the implementation of human rights obligations assumed by the CIS countries. Established in accordance with the decision of the CHS on the approval of the Regulations on the Commission on Human Rights (September 24, 1993) and the CIS Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (May 26, 1995). In accordance with the convention, the regulation on the commission came into force on August 11, 1998. It should include representatives of the member states, the chairmanship should be carried out alternately. Minsk was chosen as the seat of the commission. To date, the commission has not been formed.

Executive bodies of the CIS.

The CIS Executive Committee was formed by decision of the Council of CIS Heads of State on April 2, 1999 on the basis of the CIS Executive Secretariat, the apparatus of the Interstate Economic Committee of the Economic Union, and the working apparatuses of a number of interstate and intergovernmental sectoral bodies. The Committee is called upon to ensure the activities of the Councils of Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Economic Council; develop proposals on the CIS strategy; to carry out legal study of documents; to analyze the course of implementation of decisions and agreements, as well as to systematically inform the supreme bodies of the Commonwealth. The Executive Committee is a permanent body, the seat of the committee is Minsk. The Chairman of the Executive Committee is appointed by the Council of Heads of State. In 1999, Vladimir Rushailo was appointed chairman of the committee.

The CIS Economic Council is the main executive body that ensures the implementation of agreements and decisions of the CHS and CHP regarding the formation and operation of a free trade zone, as well as other issues of socio-economic cooperation. It is accountable to the CHS and the CHP of the Commonwealth, established in accordance with the decision of the CHS on the improvement and reform of the structure of the CIS bodies (April 2, 1999). The regulation on the Economic Council was approved in January 2000. The Council is called upon to promote the deepening of economic cooperation within the CIS, the formation of a free trade zone and the free movement of goods, services, labor and capital. Its tasks include the development of proposals for cooperation between firms, joint programs and projects for the development of industry, agriculture, transport and resource development; expanding cooperation in education, healthcare, social protection and culture. The Council develops and submits draft relevant decisions for consideration by the CHS and CHS and provides them with reports on development trends, reviews the progress in fulfilling obligations, conducts economic consultations, collects information, etc.

The Economic Council consists of deputy heads of government of the CIS member countries. Its meetings are held at least once a quarter. Chairman of the Council - Minister of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation Viktor Khristenko. The permanent body of the Economic Council is the Commission on Economic Affairs (located in Moscow), which consists of authorized representatives of states to the Economic Council and meets at least once a month.

Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Commonwealth Member States to the Charter and Other Bodies of the Commonwealth. Established in accordance with the decision of the Council of Foreign Ministers. Council meetings are held at least once a month. Chairman - Amirkhon Safarov, Permanent Plenipotentiary Representative of Tajikistan.

Bodies of branch cooperation.

Approx. 70 bodies of sectoral cooperation, which are designed to promote the development of multilateral interaction between member states. They agree on the principles and rules of such cooperation in specific areas of the economy, science, the humanitarian sphere, military development, and so on. and contribute to the implementation of practical agreements. The structure of these bodies includes, as a rule, the heads of the relevant executive authorities of the CIS countries. The bodies of sectoral cooperation, within their competence, adopt recommendations, and also submit proposals for consideration by the Council of Heads of Government.

The following branch bodies are currently active. In the field of industry and construction:

– Interstate Council of Heads of Ministries and Departments for Cooperation in the Field of Mechanical Engineering (established in 1993); Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy (1993); Intergovernmental Council for Cooperation in Construction Activities (1994); Advisory Council for Support and Development of Small Business (1997); Interstate Council for industrial safety(2001); Advisory Council of the Heads of the State (Executive) Power Bodies Managing State Material Reserves (2004).

In the field of agriculture:

– Intergovernmental Council on Agro-Industrial Complex (1993); Intergovernmental Council for Cooperation in the Field of Veterinary Medicine (1993/1995); Intergovernmental Coordinating Council on Seed Issues (1996).

In the field of transport and communications:

- Council on Aviation and the Use of Airspace (1991); Interstate Space Council (1991); Regional commonwealth in the field of communications (1991); Rail Transport Council (1992); Interstate Advisory Council "Radionavigation" (1993); Coordinating Council for Intergovernmental Courier Communications (1993); Coordinating transport meeting; Intergovernmental Council of Road Workers (1998); Interstate Coordinating Council of the Interstate TV and Radio Company "Mir" (2005).

In the field of scientific and technological progress:

- Interstate Coordinating Council for Scientific and Technical Information (1992); Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (1992); Interstate Council for the Protection of Industrial Property (1993); Interstate Scientific and Technical Council (1995); Coordination Council for Informatization (2002); Administrative Council of the Eurasian Patent Organization.

In the field of energy:

– Electricity Council (1992); Intergovernmental Council on Oil and Gas (1993); Intergovernmental Council for Cooperation in Chemistry and Petrochemistry (1993); Commission on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy (1997).

In the field of natural resources:

- Intergovernmental Council for Exploration, Use and Protection of Subsoil (1997); Intergovernmental Council for the Timber Industry and forestry (1998).

In the field of trade, finance, customs policy and insurance business:

– Council of Heads of Foreign Economic Departments; Interstate Bank (1993); Council of Heads of Customs Services (1993); Interstate Monetary Committee (1995); Interstate Council for Exhibition and Fair Activities (1995); Leasing Confederation (1997); International Association exchanges (2000); Council of Heads of Supreme Audit Institutions (2000); Coordinating Council for accounting under the CIS Executive Committee (2000); Council of Heads of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (2002); Council of Heads of State Bodies for Regulation of the Securities Market (2003); Interstate Coordinating Council of Heads of Insurance Supervision Bodies (2005).

In the field of ecology:

– Interstate Ecological Council (1992); Interstate Council for Hydrometeorology (1992); Interstate Council for Geodesy, Cartography, Cadastre and Remote Sensing of the Earth (1992).

In the field of natural and man-made emergencies:

– Interstate Council for Natural and Technogenic Emergencies (1993).

In the field of security and crime control:

- Council of Ministers of the Interior (1996); Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services (1997); Coordinating Council of Attorneys General (2000); Joint Working Commission of the States Parties to the Agreement on Cooperation in the Suppression of Offenses in the Field of Intellectual Property (2000); Antiterrorist Center (2000); Coordinating Council of Heads of Tax Investigation Bodies (2000); Joint Commission of the States Parties to the Agreement on Cooperation in Combating Illegal Migration (2004); Bureau for Coordinating the Fight against Organized Crime and Other Types of Crimes in the CIS.

In the field of education, culture and social policy:

– Advisory Council for Labour, Migration and Social Protection of the Population (1992); Health Cooperation Council (1992); Committee for the Affairs of Internationalist Warriors under the Council of Heads of Government (1992); Council of Chairmen of Defense Sports and Technical Organizations (Societies) (1993); Tourism Council of the States Parties to the Agreement (1994); Council for Cooperation in the Field of Culture (1995); Council for Cooperation in Education (1997); Section on interlibrary loan (1999). Meetings Interstate Committee on Extension of Knowledge and Adult Education (1997) has not been held since 2002.

In the field of law:

– Scientific and Advisory Center for Private Law of the CIS (1994); Council of Chairmen of Supreme Arbitration, Economic, Economic and Other Courts Resolving Economic Disputes (2002); Legal Advisory Board; Advisory Committee of Heads of Legal Services of Ministries of Foreign Affairs (2004); Council of Ministers of Justice (2005); CIS observer mission for the presidential and parliamentary elections.

In the field of information and statistics:

– Council of Heads of Statistical Services (1991); Council of Heads of State information services(Informsovet, 1995); Interstate Council for Cooperation in the Field of Periodicals, Book Publishing, Book Distribution and Printing (1999); Advisory Council of Heads of State Archival Services (2004).

The Joint Consultative Commission on Disarmament Matters (1992) is not functioning. The work of the temporary operational working group of the CIS on the settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia (1999) has been suspended.

A number of specialized international organizations have also been created within the framework of the CIS: the Coordinating Council of the International Union “Commonwealth of Public Organizations of Veterans (Pensioners) of Independent States” (1991); Interstate television and radio company "Mir" (1992); international union consumer cooperation(1992); International Academy of Viticulture and Winemaking (1996); International Agro-Industrial Union (Soyuzagro, 2002), etc.

CIS reforms.

From the beginning In the 2000s, some participating countries put forward proposals to reform the Commonwealth of Independent States. September 16, 2004 The Council of Heads of State adopted decision in principle on the need to reform the CIS bodies. This topic was discussed at meetings of representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member States and expert meetings, and in August 2005 it was considered at meetings of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. The developed proposals formed the basis of the draft document presented to the participants of the meeting of the CHS (Kazan, August 26, 2005).

The improvement and reform of the CIS bodies is aimed at implementing measures to further intensify the activities of the Commonwealth bodies and strengthen integration processes. In the field of economic cooperation, it is planned to increase the responsibility of the Economic Council and the Commission on Economic Affairs for the implementation of relevant decisions, expand the functions of the Interstate Statistical Committee, give the Council of Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the CIS bodies the status of a Commonwealth body, study ways to improve the efficiency of the Economic Court.

In the field of military cooperation, it was decided to abolish the Headquarters for Coordination and transfer its functions to the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Defense, reduce the Coordination Service of the Council of Commanders of the Border Troops by 10% and intensify interaction within the framework of the Coordination Meeting of the Heads of law enforcement agencies of the CIS countries (includes the Coordinating Council of Prosecutors General, the Council of Ministers of the Interior Affairs, the Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services, the Council of Commanders of the Border Troops, the Coordinating Council of Heads of Tax (Financial) Investigation Bodies, the Council of Heads of Customs Services with the participation of heads of ministries of foreign affairs).

The preparation of reforms in the executive apparatus of the CIS continues: optimization of the structure and activities of the Executive Committee (these decisions should be taken by the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Member States) and an inventory of sectoral cooperation bodies (the Executive Committee and the Council of Representatives should submit recommendations for consideration by the Councils of Heads states and governments). The Council of Ministers of Justice of the CIS states was formed and the regulations on it and on the Interstate Council of Heads of Supreme Financial Control Institutions of the CIS member states were approved.

The CHS continues the inventory of the legal framework of the Commonwealth. The Executive Committee and the Council of Representatives were instructed to analyze the methods of decision-making in the CIS bodies, based on the practice of international organizations. The Executive Committee and the Council of Representatives should also prepare proposals on improving the work of the CIS Observer Mission at elections and referendums and consider additional proposals from states on improving cooperation within the CIS, including conceptual issues, funding, etc. Russia proposed to create in the Commonwealth a “group high level” with the participation of persons of authority in the Member States (on the model of the “group of wise men” of the UN). 2006 is declared "the year of the CIS".

The participants of the Kazan meeting (August 2005) approved the Concept of a Coordinated Border Policy, the Protocol on Approval of the Regulations on the Organization of Cooperation between Border and Other Agencies of the Participating States in Providing Assistance in the Emergence and Settlement/Liquidation of Crisis Situations at External Borders, the Program of Cooperation in Combating Illegal Migration at 2006-2008 and the Program for Cooperation in Combating Terrorism and Other Violent Extremism for 2005-2007. The proposals made by Ukraine regarding cooperation in the field of pensions, international legal consolidation of the state borders of the CIS countries, the creation of transport and energy corridors and a number of other issues were submitted for consideration to the Executive Committee and the Economic Council of the Commonwealth.

Internet resources: http://cis.minsk.by/

http://pravo.kulichki.ru/zak/megd/

http://www.kaznachey.com/azs/337/

Literature:

Pustogarov V.V. CIS - international regional organization. – In: Russian Yearbook of International Law. 1992. St. Petersburg, 1992
Charter of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Commonwealth. 1993, No. 1
Moiseev E.G. International legal framework for cooperation between the CIS countries. M., 1997
The building complex of Russia and the CIS member states. Yearbook. M., 1997
Mikhaleva N.A. Workshop on the constitutional law of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. M., 1998
Moiseev E.G. International legal status of the CIS. – In: Public International Law. M., 1998
Collection of legal acts adopted at a meeting of the Council for Railway Transport of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the issues of passenger transportation. M., 1998
Commonwealth of Independent States. Quick reference guide to preliminary statistical totals. M., 1998
Strategy for Joint Innovative Development of the CIS Member States. SPb., 1998
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Decisions of the Economic Court of the Commonwealth of Independent States(1994–2000.). Minsk, 2000
Modern economic and social development of the CIS countries at the turn of the XXI century(problems and prospects). St. Petersburg, 2000
Commonwealth of Independent States. Statistical Yearbook. M., 2000
Socio-economic problems of a transitional society from the practice of the CIS countries. M., 2000
Customs Union countries: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. M., 2000
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And Belarus. Currently, the CIS includes the following countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Ukraine.

The goals of this organization are: to coordinate the activities of the former republics of the USSR in the political, economic, cultural, military and other fields.

In January 1993, the CIS Charter was adopted, providing for the comprehensive and balanced development of the CIS member countries, the formation of a common economic space based on market relations, freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor, and the consistent reduction and abolition of customs duties, taxes and fees .

With the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, more than 30 coordinating bodies were formed, including:

Statutory bodies of the CIS:

• Council of Heads of State;
• Council of Heads of Government;
• Council of Foreign Ministers;
• Council of Defense Ministers;
• Council of Commanders of the Border Troops;
• Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS;
• Economic Court.

Executive bodies of the CIS:

• Economic Council of the CIS;
• the Council of Permanent Plenipotentiary Representatives of the States Members of the Commonwealth to the statutory and other bodies of the Commonwealth;
• CIS Executive Committee (located in Belarus, Minsk).

Bodies of branch cooperation of the CIS. The charter provides for the creation of bodies of sectoral cooperation of the Commonwealth, which are designed to help improve the multilateral business interaction of states, to agree on the principles and rules of cooperation between sectors, to promote the practical implementation of agreements in specific areas of the economy, science, in the humanitarian sphere, and in military construction.

Their composition, as a rule, includes the heads of the relevant executive authorities of the member states of the Commonwealth.

One of the first, in December 1991, was the Commonwealth Statistical Committee, which, in accordance with the decision of the Council of Heads of Government of May 26, 1995, was transformed into the Commonwealth Interstate Statistical Committee. The Committee develops and implements a unified statistical policy, generates summary statistical data within the framework of the CIS member countries.

Interstate and intergovernmental councils operate in the field of economy, science, ecology, transport and coordinate the interaction of sectoral structures of executive power in the following areas:

• industry and construction;
• Agriculture;
• transport and communications;
• scientific and technical progress;
• energy;
• trade, finance and customs policy;
• environmental Safety;
• security and crime control.

In 1995, Russia entered the Customs Union with Belarus and, which was then joined by Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. And in 2000, this union was actually transformed into the Euro-Asian Economic Community, which aims to fully introduce a free trade regime, form a single customs tariff, a common energy market, etc. For the member states of this community, Russia has retained the former visa-free regime, although in relations with some CIS countries (Georgia, Turkmenistan) it was canceled.

Belarus and Russia signed an agreement on the creation of the Union (in 1999), which will promote the closest integration of countries, and subsequently - the creation of a single currency and the free movement of people, the organization of joint production. Already existing trade relations between Russia and Belarus account for 40% of their total trade with the CIS countries.

In general, Russia's foreign trade with the CIS countries in 2005 amounted to 51.5 billion dollars, which is significantly inferior to the scale of Russia's trade relations with non-CIS countries, especially Europe.

Russia and the CIS countries are united by historical and cultural ties that have developed on the basis of the interpenetration of cultures, with special meaning Russian culture and language.

The military security of the CIS countries determines the need for their military cooperation. At the same time, a special role belongs to the military potential of Russia, the only nuclear power in the CIS. Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, which possessed nuclear weapons, handed them over to Russia. Russia also signed a Treaty of Friendship with Ukraine and, on the territory of which there are Russian military bases (including the base of the Black Sea Navy of Russia in), as well as an agreement with military-technical cooperation.

In 2002, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was established - an international military-political organization on the territory of the CIS, which included the states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and as observers - Moldova, Ukraine.

A lot of geopolitical problems have arisen in Russia's relations with the near abroad, i.e. with other CIS countries. On the western border, this applies to a lesser extent to Belarus, but to a much greater extent to Ukraine and (and Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet, the status of Transnistria, tariffs for pumping Russian oil and natural gas in Overseas Europe). On the southern border, there has been some cooling of relations with and, in particular, with (differences on the issue of transportation routes for Caspian oil, on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, on Russian military bases, etc.) "geopolitical vacuum" in Russia's relations with Kazakhstan and the states of Central Asia.

Unfortunately, today, when twenty years have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, not everyone knows which countries are included in the CIS. This applies in particular to today's youth, to those who were born and studied in post-Soviet Russia. For them, the USSR is a state from the pages of the history books of the twentieth century, an unreal state of the past, with which nothing connects them.

Meanwhile, the former Soviet republics now maintain political and economic relations within the framework of the CIS - the Commonwealth of Independent States. Today, the composition of the CIS is all the countries that were previously part of the USSR, with the exception of the three Baltic states. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania now focus exclusively on the Western model of socio-economic and state-political development, and therefore they chose not to join the Commonwealth.

So, which countries are part of the CIS today? Firstly, these are the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus, which founded this organization in December 1991. The parties agreed to respect each other's sovereignty and develop interstate ties and relations in various spheres of society. They stressed that the fraternal peoples, who used to live in one large state, should be able to freely communicate with each other, exchange experiences and honor established traditions. Then Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan joined the organization. All the listed states have ratified the main document of the CIS - the charter. One of the provisions of the charter is the right of a country to withdraw from the Commonwealth with a written notification of the participating countries a year before such withdrawal. In 2008, the Georgian authorities exercised this right, and in the summer of 2009 Georgia officially left the CIS. Turkmenistan participates in the work of the CIS in the role of the so-called "associate member". This means that the Turkmen side makes all the necessary contributions, but only on those issues for which it has such a right granted by the organization. Despite the fact that Ukraine was one of the founders of the CIS, this country has not yet ratified the CIS Charter. Thus, legally it is not a member of the organization, but in fact it takes part in all discussions and influences the work of the Commonwealth.

Now that we have figured out which countries are included in the CIS, we will note the main agreements adopted within the organization to date.

Members of the CIS deserve special attention in the fight against illegal migration. Thus, on the one hand, states establish a softer border crossing regime, enshrined in Customs Code of the Customs Union, and on the other hand, they are trying to prevent illegal movements in the territory of the post-Soviet space.

Now you know which countries are included in the CIS, and why this organization was created.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), also referred to as the "Russian Commonwealth", is a regional organization whose member countries are former Soviet republics formed during the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The CIS is a free association of states. Although the CIS has few supranational powers, it is more than a purely symbolic organization and nominally has coordinating powers in trade, finance, lawmaking, and security. The CIS also promotes cooperation in cross-border crime prevention. Some of the CIS members formed the Eurasian Economic Community in order to create a full-fledged common market.

History of the CIS

The organization was founded on December 8, 1991 by the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, when the leaders of the three countries met in nature reserve Belovezhskaya Pushcha, located 50 km north of Brest in Belarus, and signed an agreement on the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the creation of the CIS as the successor to the USSR.

At the same time, they announced that the new alliance would be open to all the republics of the former Soviet Union, and other countries sharing the same goals. The Charter of the CIS states that all its members are sovereign and independent states, and thus, in fact, the Soviet Union was abolished.

On December 21, 1991, the leaders of eight other former Soviet republics - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - signed the Alma-Ata Protocol and joined the CIS, bringing the number of participating countries to 11. Georgia joined the CIS two years later in December 1993.

Between 2003 and 2005, three CIS member states experienced a change of governments in a series of color revolutions: Eduard Shevardnadze was overthrown in Georgia; Viktor Yushchenko was elected in Ukraine; and Askar Akaev was overthrown in Kyrgyzstan. In February 2006, Georgia withdrew from the Council of CIS Defense Ministers due to the fact that "Georgia has taken a course towards joining NATO, and it cannot be part of two military structures at the same time", but it was still a full member of the CIS until August 2009 year, and withdrew from the CIS a year after the official announcement of the withdrawal immediately after the war in South Ossetia in 2008. In March 2007, Igor Ivanov, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, expressed doubts about the usefulness of the CIS, stressing that the Eurasian Economic Community was becoming a more competent organization, bringing together major countries CIS. Following Georgia's withdrawal from the CIS, the presidents of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan missed the CIS meeting in October 2009, each having their own issues and disagreements with the Russian Federation at the time.

In May 2009, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine joined the Eastern Partnership, a project initiated by the European Union (EU).

Membership in the CIS

The Establishment Agreement remained the main founding document of the CIS until January 1993, when the CIS Charter was adopted. The Charter fixed the concept of membership: a member country is defined as a country that ratifies the CIS Charter. Turkmenistan has not ratified the Charter and changed its status in the CIS to associate member as of August 26, 2005 in order to comply with the UN recognized status of international neutrality. Although Ukraine was one of the three founding countries and ratified the Agreement Establishing the CIS in December 1991, that country also did not ratify the CIS Charter because it did not agree that Russia was the sole successor to the Soviet Union. At the same time, Ukraine is not officially considered a member of the CIS, although in fact it is a member.

Official members of the CIS

The country	Signed	Ratified	Charter ratified	Member status
Armenia	December 21, 1991	February 18, 1992	March 16, 1994	Official participant
Azerbaijan	December 21, 1991	September 24, 1993	December 14, 1993	Official participant
Belarus	December 8, 1991	December 10, 1991	January 18, 1994	Official participant
Kazakhstan	December 21, 1991	December 23, 1991	April 20, 1994	Official participant
Kyrgyzstan	December 21, 1991	March 6, 1992	April 12, 1994	Official participant
Moldova	December 21, 1991	April 8, 1994	June 27, 1994	Official participant
Russia	December 8, 1991	December 12, 1991	July 20, 1993	Official participant
Tajikistan	December 21, 1991	June 26, 1993	August 4, 1993	Official participant
Uzbekistan	December 21, 1991	April 1, 1992	February 9, 1994	Official participant

States that have not ratified the CIS Charter

On March 14, 2014, a draft law on withdrawal from the CIS after the annexation of Crimea to Russia was submitted to the Parliament of Ukraine.

Although Ukraine was one of the three founding countries and ratified the Agreement Establishing the CIS in December 1991, Ukraine did not actually ratify the CIS Charter. In 1993 Ukraine became an "Associate Member" of the CIS.

Former member countries of the CIS

CIS Executive Secretaries

Human rights in the CIS

Since its inception, one of the main tasks of the CIS has been to serve as a forum for discussing issues related to the socio-economic development of the newly independent states. To achieve this goal, the Member States agreed on the promotion and protection of human rights. Initially, efforts to achieve this goal consisted of only declarations of good will, but on May 26, 1995, the CIS adopted the Commonwealth of Independent States Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Even before 1995, the protection of human rights was guaranteed by Article 33 of the CIS Charter, which was adopted in 1991, and the established Human Rights Commission was located in Minsk, Belarus. This was confirmed by the decision of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS in 1993. In 1995, the CIS adopted a human rights treaty that includes civil and political as well as social and economic human rights. This treaty entered into force in 1998. The CIS Treaty was modeled after the European Convention on Human Rights, but lacks strong mechanisms for the implementation of human rights. The CIS treaty defines very vaguely the powers of the Commission on Human Rights. The Charter of the Commission on Human Rights, however, is used in the CIS member states as a solution to problems, which gives the Commission the right to interstate as well as individual communications.

The CIS Treaty offers a number of valuable innovations not found in other organizations. Especially regional human rights treaties such as the European Convention on Human Rights in terms of the human rights it protects and the remedies. It includes a combination of social and economic rights and rights in vocational education and citizenship. It also offers the opportunity in the countries of the former Soviet Union to deal with human rights issues in a more familiar cultural environment.

However, CIS members, especially in Central Asia, are still among the most backward countries in the field of human rights in the world. Many activists point to the 2005 Andijan events in Uzbekistan, or the personality cult of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in Turkmenistan, to show that there has been little to no improvement in human rights since the collapse of the Soviet Union in Central Asia. The consolidation of power by President Vladimir Putin has led to a steady decline in the modest progress of the past years in Russia. The Commonwealth of Independent States continues to face significant challenges in achieving even basic international standards.

Military structures of the CIS

The CIS Charter determines the activities of the Council of Defense Ministers, which is empowered to coordinate military cooperation between the CIS member states. To this end, the Council develops conceptual approaches to the issues of military and defense policy of the CIS member states; develops proposals aimed at preventing armed conflicts on the territory of the Member States or with their participation; gives expert opinions on draft treaties and agreements related to issues of defense and military developments; brings issues related to proposals and initiatives to the attention of the Council of CIS Heads of State. Also important is the work of the Council on the convergence of legal acts in the field of defense and military construction.

An important manifestation of the integration processes in the field of military and defense cooperation between the CIS member states is the creation in 1995 of a joint CIS air defense system. Over the years, the number of servicemen of the joint air defense system of the CIS has doubled along the western European border of the CIS and 1.5 times on the southern borders.

CIS related organizations

CIS Free Trade Area (CISFTA)

In 1994, the CIS countries "agreed" to create a free trade zone (FTA), but never signed the corresponding agreements. An agreement on a CIS FTA would unite all members except Turkmenistan.

In 2009, a new agreement was signed to start the creation of the CIS FTA (CISFTA). In October 2011, a new free trade agreement was signed by eight of the eleven prime ministers of the CIS countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine at a meeting in St. Petersburg. As of 2013, it has been ratified by Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova and Armenia, and is valid only between these states.

The free trade agreement eliminates export and import duties on a number of goods, but also contains a number of exemptions that will eventually be removed. An agreement was also signed on the basic principles of foreign exchange regulation and foreign exchange control in the CIS countries at the same meeting in October 2011.

Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC)

The Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) emerged from the customs union between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan on March 29, 1996. It was named EurAsEC on October 10, 2000, when Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed the relevant agreement. The EurAsEC was formally created when the treaty was finally ratified by all five member states in May 2001. Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine have observer status. The EurAsEC is working to create a common energy market and explore more efficient water use in Central Asia.

Organization of Central Asian Cooperation (CACO)

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan formed the CACO in 1991 as the Central Asian Commonwealth (CAC). The organization continued its work in 1994 as the Central Asian Economic Union (CAEU), in which Tajikistan and Turkmenistan did not participate. In 1998, it became known as the Central Asian Economic Cooperation (CAEC), which marked the return of Tajikistan. On February 28, 2002, it was renamed to its current name. Russia joined the CACO on May 28, 2004. On October 7, 2005, it was decided between the member states that Uzbekistan would join the Eurasian Economic Community and that the organizations would be merged.

The organizations joined on January 25, 2006. It is not yet clear what will happen to the status of current CACO observers who are not observers in the EurAsEC (Georgia and Turkey).

Common Economic Space (SES)

After a discussion on the creation of a single economic space between the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, an agreement in principle was reached on the creation of this space after a meeting in Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow on February 23, 2003. The Common Economic Space envisaged the creation of a supranational commission on trade and tariffs, which is based in Kyiv, will initially be headed by a representative of Kazakhstan and will not be subordinate to the governments of the four countries. ultimate goal will become a regional organization that will be open to accession for other countries as well, and may eventually even lead to a single currency.

On May 22, 2003, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) voted with 266 votes and 51 against in favor of creating a joint economic space. However, most believe that Viktor Yushchenko's victory in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election was a significant blow to the organization: Yushchenko showed a renewed interest in Ukraine's membership in the European Union, and such membership would be incompatible with membership in the single economic space. Yushchenko's successor Viktor Yanukovych said on April 27, 2010 "Ukraine's accession to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan is not possible today, since economic principles and WTO laws do not allow it, and we are developing our policy in accordance with the principles of the WTO." At that time it was already a member of the WTO, while the rest of the CIS countries were not.

Thus, in 2010, the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia was created, and the creation of a single market was envisaged in 2012.

Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) or simply the Tashkent Treaty first started as the CIS Collective Security Treaty, which was signed on May 15, 1992 by Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the city of Tashkent. Azerbaijan signed the treaty on September 24, 1993, Georgia on December 9, 1993, and Belarus on December 31, 1993. The treaty entered into force on April 20, 1994.

The Collective Security Treaty was signed for a period of 5 years. On April 2, 1999, only six members of the CSTO signed a protocol to extend the treaty for another five-year period, while Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan refused to sign it and withdrew from the treaty; together with Moldova and Ukraine, they formed a more pro-Western, pro-American group known as "GUAM" (Georgia, Uzbekistan/Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova). The organization was named CSTO on October 7, 2002 in Tashkent. Nikolai Bordyuzha was appointed general secretary new organization. During 2005, CSTO partners held several joint military exercises. In 2005, Uzbekistan withdrew from GUAM, and on June 23, 2006, Uzbekistan became a full member of the CSTO, and its membership was officially ratified by Parliament on March 28, 2008. The CSTO is an observer organization at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The CSTO Charter reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to refrain from the use of force or the threat of force. Signatories cannot join other military alliances or other groups of states, while aggression against one signatory will be perceived as aggression against all. To this end, the CSTO annually conducts military command exercises of the CSTO members in order to be able to improve cooperation within the organization. Large-scale military exercises of the CSTO were held in Armenia and were called "Frontier-2008". They involved a total of 4,000 military personnel from all 7 CSTO member countries to conduct operational, strategic and tactical exercises with an emphasis on further improving the efficiency of the elements of collective protection of CSTO partners.

In May 2007, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha invited Iran to join the CSTO, "CSTO is open organization. If Iran is willing to act in accordance with our charter, we will consider joining." If Iran joined the CSTO, it would be the first state outside the former Soviet Union to become a member of the organization.

On October 6, 2007, the CSTO members agreed to significantly expand the organization, in particular, to introduce the possibility of creating a CSTO peacekeeping force that could be deployed under a UN mandate or without it in the CSTO member states. The expansion will also allow all members to purchase Russian weapons at the same price as in Russia. The CSTO signed an agreement with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Tajik capital Dushanbe to expand cooperation on issues such as security, crime and drug trafficking.

On August 29, 2008, Russia announced its intention to seek CSTO recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, three days after the official recognition of these republics by Russia. On September 5, 2008, Armenia assumed the chairmanship of the CSTO during the CSTO meeting in Moscow, Russia.

In October 2009, Ukraine refused to allow the CIS Antiterrorist Center to conduct antiterrorist exercises on its territory because the Ukrainian Constitution forbids the stationing of foreign military units on its territory.

The largest military exercise ever conducted by the CSTO, involving up to 12,000 troops, was held between September 19 and 27, 2011 in order to increase readiness and coordination in the field of anti-destabilization methods in order to counter any attempts at popular uprisings, such as the Arab Spring.

CIS Observer Mission

The CIS Election Observation Organization is an election observation body that was formed in October 2002, after the meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which adopted the Convention on Standards for Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights and Freedoms in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States . CIS-EMO sent election observers to CIS member countries; CIS observers endorsed many of the elections, which were heavily criticized by independent observers.

The democratic nature of the final round of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election that followed the Orange Revolution and brought the former opposition to power was fraught with irregularities, according to CIS observers, while the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) found no significant problems. This was the first time that the CIS monitoring team challenged the legitimacy of the elections, saying they should be considered illegitimate. On March 15, 2005, in connection with this fact, Ukraine suspended its participation in the CIS election observation organization.

The CIS praised Uzbekistan's 2005 parliamentary elections as "legitimate, free and transparent" and the OSCE described the Uzbek elections as "significantly inconsistent with OSCE commitments and other international standards democratic elections."

The Moldovan authorities refused to invite CIS observers to the 2005 Moldovan parliamentary elections, a move that was heavily criticized in Russia. Many dozens of observers from Belarus and Russia were stopped at the Moldovan border.

CIS observers followed the 2005 parliamentary elections in Tajikistan and eventually declared them "legal, free and transparent." The same elections were described by the OSCE as not meeting international standards for democratic elections.

Shortly after the CIS Observers hailed the 2005 Kyrgyz parliamentary elections as "well organized, free and fair", large-scale and often violent demonstrations erupted across the country in protest, in which the opposition announced fraud in the parliamentary elections. The OSCE reported that the elections did not meet international standards in many areas.

International observers from the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly said that the 2010 local elections in Ukraine were well organized, while the Council of Europe identified a number of problems with the new electoral law approved just before the elections, and the administration of US President Barack Obama criticized the conduct elections, stating that they "did not meet the standards of openness and fairness."

Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS

The Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS, which began its work in March 1995, is an advisory parliamentary wing of the CIS, created to discuss the problems of parliamentary cooperation. The Assembly held its 32nd plenary meeting in St. Petersburg on 14 May 2009. Ukraine participates in the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS, while Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan do not participate.

The status of the Russian language in the CIS

Russia has repeatedly called for the Russian language to receive official status in all CIS member states. So far, Russian is an official language in only four of these states: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Russian is also considered an official language in the region of Transnistria, as well as in the autonomous region of Gagauzia in Moldova. Viktor Yanukovych, the Moscow-backed presidential candidate in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, has announced his intention to make Russian the second official language in Ukraine. However, Viktor Yushchenko, the winner, did not. In early 2010, in connection with his election to the presidency, Yanukovych announced (March 9, 2010) that "Ukraine will continue to consider the Ukrainian language as the only state language."

Sports events of the CIS

At the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, its sports teams were invited to or qualified for various sporting events in 1992. The unified CIS team competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1992 Summer Olympics, and the CIS football team competed at Euro 1992. The CIS national bandy team played several friendlies in January 1992 and made their last public appearance in 1992 at the Government Cup Russia, where she also played against the new Russian bandy team. The 1991-1992 bandy championship of the Soviet Union was renamed the CIS championship. Since then, CIS members have competed against each other separately in international sports.

Economic indicators of the CIS countries

The country	Population (2012)	GDP 2007 (USD)	GDP 2012 (USD)	GDP growth (2012)	GDP per capita (2007)	GDP per capita (2012)
Belarus	9460000	45275738770	58215000000	4,3%	4656	6710
Kazakhstan	16856000	104849915344	196642000000	5,2%	6805	11700
Kyrgyzstan	5654800	3802570572	6197000000	0,8%	711	1100
Russia	143369806	1.294.381.844.081	2.022.000.000.000	3,4%	9119	14240
Tajikistan	8010000	2265340888	7263000000	2,1%	337	900
Uzbekistan	29874600	22355214805	51622000000	4,1%	831	1800
Common EurAsEC	213223782	1.465.256.182.498	2.339.852.000.000	-	7077	9700
Azerbaijan	9235100	33049426816	71043000000	3,8%	3829	7500
Georgia	4585000	10172920422	15803000000	5,0%	2334	3400
Moldova	3559500	4401137824	7589000000	4,4%	1200	2100
Ukraine	45553000	142719009901	175174000000	0,2%	3083	3870
General GUAM	62932500	186996463870	269609000000	-	2975	4200
Armenia	3274300	9204496419	10551000000	2,1%	2996	3500
Turkmenistan	5169660	7940143236	33466000000	6,9%	1595	6100
Grand total	284598122	1.668.683.151.661	2.598.572.000.000	-	6005	7800

United Nations Statistics Division and CIA data

a political union (interstate association) of most countries that until 1991 were republics within the USSR.

CIS members: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia (until August 2009), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Turkmenistan, which withdrew from the full members of the CIS in August 2005, has the status of an associated observer member.

In a number of structures of the CIS (coordinating committees of the presidential administrations on statistics, railways etc.) Mongolia participates as an observer. The agreement on the formation of the CIS (also known as the "Belovezhskaya agreement") was signed on December 8, 1991 in the Viskuly residence near Brest (Belarus) by the top leaders of Russia (B. Yeltsin), Belarus (S. Shushkevich) and Ukraine (L. Kravchuk) .

“The Commonwealth of Independent States comprising the Republic of Belarus, the RSFSR, and Ukraine,” the leaders of the three countries said in a statement, “is open for accession by all member states of the USSR, as well as for other states that share the goals and principles of this agreement.”

The appeal proclaimed that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as a subject of international law, would cease to exist.

On December 21, at a meeting in Alma-Ata, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan joined the Agreement, adopting a Declaration on the goals and principles of the CIS, which stated the cessation of the existence of the USSR and the need to resolve related problems.

In October 1993, Georgia became a full member of the CIS (on August 14, 2008, the Georgian parliament unanimously decided on Georgia's withdrawal from the organization, on October 9, 2008, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS countries adopted a formal decision to terminate Georgia's membership in the Commonwealth from August 2009 G.).

On January 22, 1993, the Charter of the CIS was adopted, which provides for the following areas of joint activity of states: ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms; coordination of foreign policy activities; cooperation in the formation and development of a common economic space, common European and Eurasian markets, customs policy; cooperation in the development of transport and communications systems; health and environmental protection; issues of social and migration policy; combating organized crime; cooperation in the field of defense policy and protection of external borders (Article 4 of the Charter).

The charter was not ratified by Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Moldova, which formally does not allow them to be considered members of the Commonwealth, but Ukraine took an active part in the CIS.

The Commonwealth is not a state and does not have supranational powers (Article 1 of the Charter), but rather is a type of "soft" confederation. According to the initiators of its proclamation, the Commonwealth became an option for a peaceful "divorce" of the former republics of the Soviet Union and prevented the development of events according to the bloody "Yugoslavian scenario".

In different years, both unrecognized self-proclaimed republics and independent states declared their intention to join the CIS (in 1991, 1992, 1996, 2006 - Abkhazia, in 1993 - Nagorno-Karabakh, in 1991–94, 2006 - Transnistria , in 1992, 1994 - Crimea, in February 1995

Republic of Serbian Krajina in Croatia, in April 1999 - Yugoslavia). However, such declarations had no practical continuation.

The supreme authority of the CIS is the annual meeting of the heads of the participating countries. Meetings of heads of government of the CIS countries are regularly convened to address issues of economic cooperation. The CIS Parliamentary Assembly (headquartered in St. Petersburg) unites the efforts of the legislative bodies of the member states in creating legal mechanisms for economic and political integration within the Commonwealth. The executive body of the CIS is located in the capital of Belarus, Minsk, and is headed by the CIS Executive Secretary, appointed by agreement of all members of the Commonwealth (since 2007 - Sergey Lebedev).

Within the framework of the CIS, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was created, which included Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia. For some time, Uzbekistan suspended its membership in this military-political union, but subsequently resumed.

One of the instruments of economic integration is the Eurasian Economic Union, created by a number of CIS states. Another structure created within the framework of the CIS is the Union State of Belarus and Russia.

The 16-year experience of the existence of the Commonwealth of Independent States is still the subject of lively discussions both in public opinion participating countries and outside the CIS.

The CIS member states still have serious territorial problems among themselves. Azerbaijan insists on the illegal return, from its point of view, of Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia, Moldova remains serious problems with Pridnestrovie, which declared its independence.

The fact that the Commonwealth has no real mechanisms for settling territorial conflicts convinces opponents of the CIS of its inefficiency. On the other hand, it was the CIS that became the institution that was able to stop the bloodshed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia when it deployed peacekeeping forces there.

Thanks to the Commonwealth, regular contacts between heads of state, heads of government, parliamentarians, the military, to a large extent, it was possible to maintain and even restore the economic and transport ties that existed during the Soviet era, to coordinate positions in energy, industrial and agricultural policy, in the social and cultural spheres.

Russia and Kazakhstan play a significant role in the integration processes in the CIS countries. It was they who initiated the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Eurasian Bank.

In addition to official meetings of the heads of the CIS countries, alternately held in the capitals of the states presiding in the Commonwealth (the last one took place in 2007 in Dushanbe), informal summits of the leaders of the republics are also practiced. On February 22, 2008, at the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation V. Putin, such a meeting took place in Moscow.

Source: Great Current Political Encyclopedia

CIS COUNTRIES

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - regional international organization(international treaty), designed to regulate relations of cooperation between countries that were previously part of the USSR. The CIS is not a supranational entity and operates on a voluntary basis.

The CIS includes the following countries:
1. Azerbaijan
2. Armenia
3. Belarus
4. Kazakhstan
5. Kyrgyzstan
6. Moldova
7. Russia
8.Tajikistan
9. Uzbekistan
10.Ukraine

Citizens from countries belonging to the CIS use a simplified procedure for issuing a "Work Permit" on the territory of the Russian Federation. For implementation labor activity it is enough for these citizens to issue a "Work Permit" - to work in commercial organizations, or a Patent - to work for private individuals.
An employer, when hiring foreign citizens from the CIS countries, does not need to obtain a "Permit to attract and use foreign workers", which greatly simplifies the procedure for hiring these citizens.

CIS - GENERAL INFORMATION

Agreement Establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States signed on December 8, 1991 by the leaders of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The participants of the Agreement stated that the USSR as a subject of international law and geopolitical reality ceases to exist. The Contracting Parties formed the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Agreement formulates the main directions and principles of cooperation, defines the scope of joint activities, implemented on an equal basis through common coordinating institutions of the Commonwealth.

The Contracting Parties guaranteed the fulfillment of international obligations arising for them from treaties and agreements of the former USSR. The protocol to the agreement on the creation of the CIS was signed by the heads of eleven states on December 21, 1991 in Alma-Ata. It is an integral part of the Commonwealth Agreement signed on December 8, 1991 and determines that all these eleven countries form the CIS on an equal footing (Georgia joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1993 in accordance with the Decision of the Council of CIS Heads of State).

Alma-Ata Declaration signed on December 21, 1991 by the leaders of eleven states. The document notes adherence to the goals and principles of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States, it is stated that the interaction of the Commonwealth participants will be carried out on the principle of equality through coordinating institutions formed on a parity basis. The commitment to cooperation in the creation and development of a common economic space, the pan-European and Eurasian markets was reaffirmed. The member states of the Commonwealth guaranteed, in accordance with their constitutional procedures, the fulfillment of international obligations arising from treaties and agreements of the former USSR.

Charter of the Commonwealth of Independent States adopted by the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth on January 22, 1993 in Minsk. The Charter of the Commonwealth defines the conditions for membership of states in the CIS, formulates the goals and principles of interstate cooperation, interaction in the economic, social and legal fields, inter-parliamentary relations, and fixes the sovereign equality of all its members. It is emphasized that the states of the CIS are independent and equal subjects of international law. A member of the Commonwealth can be a state that shares the goals and principles of the Commonwealth and has assumed the obligations contained in the Charter of the CIS, by joining it with the consent of all member states.

The Commonwealth member states build their relations in accordance with the principles of respect for sovereignty and independence, inviolability of state borders, territorial integrity of states, non-use of force or threat of force, non-interference in internal affairs, the rule of international law in interstate relations, consideration of the interests of each other and the Commonwealth as a whole .

Rules of Procedure of the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government The Commonwealth of Independent States was approved by the Decision of the Council of Heads of State on May 17, 1996. The decision was signed by the presidents of all CIS member states. The rules of procedure determine the procedure for the work of the Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth, the organization of their meetings, as well as the procedure for preparing and adopting documents submitted for their consideration.

Symbols of the Commonwealth of Independent States. On January 19, 1996, the heads of state adopted the Decision on the Regulations on the flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Decision on the Regulations on the emblem of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

CIS. beautiful emblem

CIS - Commonwealth of Independent States - an abbreviation of the name of the new association of the former Soviet republics of the USSR, which became independent states after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

The formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) took place on December 8, 1991 as a result of the signing in Viskuli (Brest region, Belarus) by the heads of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus of the corresponding agreement

List of CIS member countries (2016)

• Azerbaijan
• Armenia
• Belarus
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan

Members of the CIS are those states that within 1 year (from January 22, 1993 to January 22, 1994) assumed obligations arising from the Charter adopted on January 22, 1993 by the Council of Heads of State. Ukraine and Turkmenistan did not sign the Charter

In addition, the CIS Charter contains the concept of a founding state of the CIS.

The founding state of the CIS is considered to be the state whose parliament ratified the Agreement on the establishment of the CIS of December 8, 1991 and the Protocol to this Agreement of December 21, 1991. Turkmenistan has ratified these documents. Ukraine has ratified only the Agreement. Thus, Ukraine and Turkmenistan are the founders of the CIS, but not its members.

The protocol of December 21, 1991 was also not ratified by the parliaments of Russia and Ukraine, and on March 5, 2003, the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on CIS Affairs came to the conclusion that the Russian Federation is de jure not a founding state of the CIS and a member state

All this confirms the well-known truth - the law that the drawbar, where you turn, it went there.

The history of the creation of the CIS

• 1991, December 8 - the heads of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus Kravchuk, Yeltsin and Shushkevich signed an agreement on the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the creation of the CIS (Beloveshsky Agreement)
• 1991, December 10 - The agreement was ratified by the parliaments of Belarus and Ukraine

Ratification is the giving of legal force to a document (for example, a treaty) by its approval by the appropriate body of each of the parties. That is, ratification is the consent of the state to comply with the terms of the treaty.

• 1991, December 12 - The agreement was ratified by the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation
• 1991, December 13 - meeting in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) of the heads of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. who expressed their consent to the entry of their countries into the CIS
• 1991, December 21 - in Alma-Ata, the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine adopted a Declaration on the goals and principles of the CIS and signed a Protocol to an agreement on the creation of the CIS

Protocol
to the Agreement on the establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States, signed on December 8, 1991 in Minsk by the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation (RSFSR), Ukraine
The Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation (RSFSR), the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan and Ukraine on an equal footing and as High Contracting Parties form the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States shall enter into force for each of the High Contracting Parties from the moment of its ratification.
On the basis of the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States and taking into account the reservations made during its ratification, documents will be developed to regulate cooperation within the Commonwealth.
This Protocol is an integral part of the Agreement Establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Done in Alma-Ata on December 21, 1991 in one copy in the Azerbaijani, Armenian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Moldavian, Russian, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek and Ukrainian languages. All texts are equally valid. The original copy is kept in the archives of the Government of the Republic of Belarus, which will send to the High Contracting Parties a certified copy of this Protocol

• 1991, December 30 - in Minsk, at another meeting of the CIS heads of state, a supreme body CIS - Council of Heads of State
• 1992, October 9 - the CIS channel "Mir" was created
• January 22, 1993 - the Charter of the CIS was adopted in Minsk
• 1993, March 15 - Kazakhstan was the first of the post-Soviet republics to ratify the Charter of the CIS
• 1993, December 9 - Georgia ratified the Charter of the CIS
• 1994, April 26 - Moldova was the last of the post-Soviet republics to ratify the Charter of the CIS
• 1999, April 2 - the CIS Executive Committee was created
• 2000, June 21 - the CIS Anti-Terrorist Center was created
• 2008, August 14 - The Parliament of Georgia decided to withdraw the country from the CIS
• 2009, August 18 - Georgia officially ceased to be a member of the CIS

CIS goals

• Cooperation in the economy
• Cooperation in the field of ecology
• Cooperation in the field of ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens of the CIS
• Cooperation in the military field

The unified command of the military-strategic forces and unified control over nuclear weapons have been preserved, issues of defense and protection of external borders are being jointly resolved

• Cooperation in the development of transport, communications, energy systems
• Cooperation in the fight against crime
• Cooperation in migration policy

Governing bodies of the CIS

• Council of CIS Heads of State
• Council of Heads of Government of the CIS
• CIS Executive Committee
• Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS
• Council of Defense Ministers of the CIS
• Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs of the CIS countries
• Council of the Joint Armed Forces of the CIS countries
• Council of Commanders of the Border Troops of the CIS Countries
• Council of Heads of Security Agencies of the CIS Countries
• Interstate Economic Council of the CIS
• CIS Interparliamentary Assembly

On October 28, 2016, a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states was held in Minsk. The leader of Belarus Lukashenko: “...a critical mass of accumulated questions makes us in Belarus anxious about the prospects of ... the CIS ... Justified criticism has intensified in our countries due to dissatisfaction with both the pace and practical results integration development. There are alarming signals from business... it is worth taking a critical look at the legal framework of the CIS. For 25 years we have signed an unthinkable volume of decisions, treaties and agreements. Are they all relevant and necessary today? I would like very much that during the Russian presidency in 2017 we will be able to get clear answers: in the name of what has integration been carried out all these years and what is the ultimate goal?”

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At the beginning of the holiday season, the question of choosing a direction for summer holiday occupies many residents of Russia. In this regard, the question: “Is Abkhazia part of Russia?” asked more and more often.

Background

During the Soviet Union, Abkhazia was part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. But local population was dissatisfied with this, periodically demanding separation from Georgia.

In the late 80s of the last century, this discontent escalated into an armed conflict, during which people died in Sukhumi.

On August 25, 1990, Abkhazia declared independence. In response, Georgia sent troops to the territory of the republic. Russia became the mediator between the warring parties. In 1994, a ceasefire agreement was signed, and the situation was controlled by peacekeeping troops.

Over the years, Georgia has repeatedly tried to return the lost territory. But the Abkhaz Republic remained independent.

Abkhazia on the map

Today's situation

Today the Republic of Abkhazia is an unrecognized state. Its independence is recognized by 5 UN member states. Among them: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru and Tuvalu.

Map of the Republic of Abkhazia

Many Russians are sure that Abkhazia is part of Russia. Their confidence is based on several facts:

• You can enter there with an internal passport.
• Russians do not need visas to enter.
• 90% of Abkhazians are citizens of the Russian Federation.
• The currency of the republic is the Russian ruble.

However, Abkhazia is a separate state. Its statehood is confirmed by its own coat of arms, flag and anthem, as well as the existence of border controls between neighboring countries.

How to cross the border

The checkpoint for crossing the interstate border is located on the Psou River, not far from Adler. Russian citizens no visa required to enter. There are no restrictions on the time of stay in the country for them.

When crossing the Russian-Abkhazian border, a Russian citizen presents one of the following documents:

Border crossing rules

• General passport.
• International passport.
• Diplomatic or service passport.
• Seafarer's passport.

Citizens serving in Russian army, show permission from the command and a vacation certificate (in which Abkhazia is indicated as the place of arrival).

Traveling with children requires a birth certificate with proof of citizenship or a passport (for children over 14 years old). A minor citizen traveling without parents must have permission to leave the Russian Federation from at least one of the parents, which indicates the dates and direction of the trip, certified by a notary. When a child travels with one of the parents, consent to travel from the second is not required.

Tourists wishing to enter the country by car should have their driving license and registration certificate with them. If the car belongs to another person, the driver must have a general power of attorney certified by a notary and allowing travel outside the Russian Federation.

The Georgian authorities consider Abkhazia to be Georgian territory occupied by Russia. Therefore, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not recommend that citizens of the Russian Federation who have a mark on crossing the Abkhazian border in their foreign passport use this document to travel to Georgia.

In November 2014, the presidents of the Abkhazian Republic and Russia signed the Treaty of Alliance and Strategic Partnership. Paragraph 2 of Article 4 of this document says that Russia will help strengthen the international relations of the neighboring republic and promote the official recognition of its independence by other countries. This indicates that the small Caucasian republic will not become part of the Russian Federation, remaining an independent state.

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