Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Head of the department of the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, candidate of historical sciences, associate professor Anton Dudaryonok commented on the results of the CIS summit.

Protracted problems in the world economy and politics require interstate organizations and regional initiatives to improve institutions and mechanisms that ensure the development of a joint adequate response strategy. The main principles of their activities at the present time should be unity and strict adherence to their obligations.

The meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which took place on 18 December, attracts attention for a number of reasons. First of all, for the first time the meeting was held in the format of a videoconference, in a very difficult period for the world and our countries. And the fact that 2020 was successful for the Commonwealth under the auspices of the presidency of Uzbekistan, which for the first time organized the work of the bodies of the CIS and the Commonwealth as a whole, speaks volumes.

Dozens of multilateral events held this year and signed documents indicate that Uzbekistan has responsibly approached its obligations and consistently implements a balanced, mutually beneficial and constructive foreign policy within the framework of the Action Strategy for five priority areas of Uzbekistan’s development in 2017-2021.

The results of 2020 in the spheres of economy, transport, tourism, youth policy, healthcare, which the heads of the CIS states spoke about, are the main medicine on which the effectiveness of the fight against the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and other threats depends, and in general - the development of interstate relations in modern conditions.

The meeting became a vivid manifestation of the desire of the countries of the post-Soviet space to jointly find answers to the challenges of the time. All participants agreed that integration is an inevitable necessity to face the challenges of the times.

The results of the summit indicate that the Commonwealth not only does not forget about the past (2020 in the CIS became the year of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War) and is focused on the global agenda (taking into account the statement timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations), but also think about the future.

The summit participants approved a new version of the Concept for the further development of the CIS, taking into account the current level of multilateral cooperation and focused on economic cooperation (development of a free trade zone and digital economy, strengthening information security).

For example, the Joint Statement on Cooperation in the Field of International Information Security, adopted on 18 December notes the need for the adoption under the auspices of the UN of a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes.

In addition, it is pleasant to note that, despite the international turbulence, Uzbekistan honorably coped with the task entrusted to it and handed over this honorable mission to Belarus, which, taking into account the principle of continuity, our country will carry out jointly with the co-chairs of the Commonwealth - Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

As the President of the Republic of Belarus A.G. Lukashenko noted, the significant proposals made by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev will be used next year for implementation. Moreover, the roadmap following the meeting correlates both with the provisions expressed by the Head of Uzbekistan and with the main principles of Belarus’ chairmanship in the CIS in 2021 set out by the Head of the Belarusian State.

Therefore, the end of the presidency of Belarus in the EAEU in 2020 does not mean that our country reduces the degree of responsibility regarding the development of integration processes in Eurasia. On the contrary, the coordinated development of multi-level integration initiatives of the CIS member states is becoming an additional growth point.

In this sense, the transfer by Tashkent to Minsk of the obligations of the CIS chairman speaks of the strengthening of potential and new opportunities for multilateral cooperation between our states.