BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/05/2008

Belarusian leader says future of CIS depends on Russia

MINSK, May 23 (RIA Novosti) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that the future development of the CIS group of ex-Soviet states depends primarily on its dominant member, Russia.

"Whether the CIS gets a 'second wind,' a real additional impulse for further movement forward, depends on Russia. Russia plays a special role in this process, and has become the main engine of integration," he said.

"The principal goal is to make the Commonwealth one of the world's economic powerhouses," he said.

He called for the creation of joint transport and logistic systems, in particular a Western China-Russia-Europe transit corridor.

Belarus will take on the rotating presidency of the CIS council of prime ministers at a session in Minsk later today. Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky said on Thursday that his country intends to propose new initiatives to develop the CIS.

The meeting will also address migration, economic cooperation, and crime control. President Lukashenko is expected to attend.

The 11 full members of the CIS are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan is an associate member.

Source:

http://en.rian.ru/world/20080523/108209118.html

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