Yalta CIS summit comes to an end

The Prime Ministers of the CIS member states who came together in Yalta signed a number of documents at the end of the summit on November 20. The documents are aimed at developing cooperation between the CIS states in alleviating the effects of the financial and economic crisis, optimizing cooperation in the energy sector and developing transport corridors in the region, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the Government’s press service. The Summit of the Council of the CIS Heads of Government was chaired by Prime Minister Vlad Filat given that Moldova holds the presidency of the CIS this year. Vlad Filat said the summit discussions were serious, open and pragmatic. “The participants expressed readiness to solve the joint problems, while the documents signed during the meeting are very important,” he said, assuring that Moldova will fulfill all its obligations as CIS president. He also stressed the importance of the commercial and economic cooperation within this organization. Ukrainian Premier Yulia Timoshenko described the Yalta summit as historical event, highlighting that all the signed documents are extremely important for developing cooperation within the CIS. Sergei Lebedev, the executive secretary of the CIS, praised Moldova for its performance while holding the CIS presidency and for the assistance offered to Ukraine in organizing the meeting in Yalta. Russia will take over the CIS presidency on January 1, 2010. The next Summit of the CIS Heads of Government will take place in Moscow on May 21, 2010.