Presidents gather at the Kremlin

The heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) convened in Moscow to mark the birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The primary purpose of their visit, however, was to participate in the next session of the CIS Council of Heads of State, which took place on October 8. Notably, some leaders arrived in Moscow the day prior, on October 7.

Uzbekistan’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, departed on October 7 to attend the meeting. Upon arrival at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, he was received by Maxim Oreshkin, assistant to the President of Russia, along with other Russian officials.

On October 7, President Putin celebrated his 72nd birthday. According to foreign reports, the Kremlin leader held a series of closed-door meetings on this occasion. It remains unclear whether the CIS presidents attending the summit were involved in any birthday-related gatherings.

The CIS summit drew leaders such as President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and CIS General Secretary Sergey Lebedev also made the trip to Moscow.

During the meeting, the leaders exchanged views on multilateral relations and discussed prospects for future cooperation within the CIS. Several key agreements were signed. As is customary, the gathering began with a group photo of the heads of state.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, chairing the meeting, opened with remarks at the smaller, closed-door session of the CIS Council. He emphasized that cooperation within the CIS is a top foreign policy priority for Russia.

"For us, the CIS member states are our closest neighbors, friends, and strategic partners. We are committed to enhancing our cooperation in every possible way. Russia’s 2024 chairmanship and our extensive plan of related activities aim to achieve this. We are grateful to all colleagues present here for their support and active participation," Putin said.

He added that economic topics would dominate the agenda, focusing on expanding trade and investment cooperation among the CIS member states.

At last year's CIS summit, held on October 13, 2023, in Bishkek, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov expressed confidence that the Russian language would continue to serve as the primary medium of communication in the CIS.

"I believe that the efforts made under Kyrgyzstan's chairmanship and the decisions reached at the summit will further strengthen good neighborly relations and contribute to the well-being of the peoples of the CIS," Japarov remarked.

Putin revisited the topic from the previous summit, expressing hope that all CIS countries would soon ratify the treaty to establish the International Russian Language Organization.

"Last year in Bishkek, we signed an agreement to create the International Russian Language Organization. Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have already ratified it. I hope the remaining member states will soon complete the necessary domestic procedures," Putin stated.

He also thanked Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for initiating the creation of the organization, calling it a "valuable and important initiative" to preserve the Russian language as a means of international communication.

The Russian President also highlighted the significance of preserving the shared historical memory of CIS countries, noting that this year would mark a period dedicated to peace and unity in the fight against Nazism.

At the summit, CIS leaders called for vigilance against the resurgence of fascism, Nazism, and militarism. This message was formalized in the "Address of the Heads of State of the CIS to the Peoples of the Commonwealth and the Global Community on the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945," adopted during the meeting.

Additionally, CIS leaders urged the global community to resist efforts to falsify history. In his remarks, President Mirziyoyev proposed holding a conference on artificial intelligence in Samarkand.

"Special attention was paid to the security situation and the stable development of the CIS countries. The importance of establishing systematic cooperation among the special services and authorized agencies of the CIS nations was emphasized. This includes improving methods to combat contemporary threats and adopting coordinated measures and programmatic documents in the field of cybersecurity," stated the press service of the President.

President Putin highlighted that a crucial aspect of the Commonwealth's activities is ensuring security and law enforcement. He underscored the vital role of close cooperation between competent authorities and specialized services and expressed his support for the initiative proposed by Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

"I would like to draw attention to the cooperation program we are adopting today in the area of deradicalization, which has been prepared at the initiative of Uzbekistan’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This program aims to prevent the legitimization of radical and extremist movements and to foster interfaith dialogue," Putin remarked.

During the summit, the decision on the "Cooperation Program of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States for 2025-2027 in the Field of Deradicalization" was adopted, along with several other important documents.

Additionally, Putin awarded Uzbek diplomat Ilhom Toychievich Nematov with the Order of "Drujba" ("Friendship") of the Russian Federation. The award was presented to the Deputy Secretary General of the CIS, recognizing his contributions to the development of the CIS and his significant role in strengthening relations between member states during his tenure as Uzbekistan's ambassador to Russia.

Thus, the recent meeting of CIS leaders concluded successfully.