BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

29/11/2006

Next CIS summit to be held in Dushanbe - Belarus FM

MINSK, November 29 (Itar-Tass) - Belarussian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov told journalists at a briefing on Wednesday that the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries at their summit in Minsk on Tuesday decided to hold their next meeting in Dushanbe and an unofficial summit - in St. Petersburg in June.

According to the minister, the Minsk summit marked the Commonwealth's 15th anniversary.

"In this connection the issue of further fate of the CIS was central on the agenda," said Martynov pointing out that an interdepartmental group will be formed at the level of deputy foreign ministers that on the basis of a report of the High-Level Group will prepare by June 1 a draft Concept of the CIS development.

"It will be specific," said the minister. Martynov stressed that the "essence of the report of the 'group of wise men' is that the CIS is necessary and has no alternative."

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11031045&PageNum=0