Islam Karimov attends CIS Summit in Minsk

The CIS summit meetings have for more than 20 years served as a convenient stage for candid consultations to agree on mutually suitable decisions, exchange views on important issues of interstate nature as well as regional and international affairs.

During the session in Minsk this time around, the issues discussed have included those concerning the further improvement of activities of the Commonwealth, consolidation of political, trade and economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian bonds among the member nations, along with the evolution of cooperation within international institutions.

The heads of participating countries swapped their visions on current issues in regional and international politics, including the interaction in addressing threats like terrorism, extremism, drugs and arms smuggling.

It was noted at the summit meeting that the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Afghanistan due in 2014 requires bolstering the coordination of joint efforts in providing for national and collective security.

Islam Karimov stressed the necessity of shaping an environment that would serve as a barrier on the path of infiltrating ideas of terrorism and extremism into the Commonwealth space. Uzbekistan’s leader underscored also a need to counter not only the threats per se, but also their sources. According to the head of our state, cooperation in the field of information and communication technologies is also instrumental in addressing these challenges.

Expounding on the situation in Afghanistan, President Karimov noted that it is impossible to resolve the crisis with military force, and the only feasible way out of the calamity is political, by reaching a compromise among the confronting sides.

The heads of member states also deliberated on topics relating to trade and economic relations within the CIS. Back in 2011, an agreement on free trade area was signed to boost multilateral cooperation on this front. President Islam Karimov pointed out that the institution of a full-fledged free trade area constitutes one of the most important challenges. In current circumstances, when many countries around the globe have faced financial and economic downturn and are presently on their way to weathering its impact, the formation of a full-blown free trade area will afford a range of such economic effects as stimulation of manufacturing industry, consolidation of mutual confidence among business circles, timely implementation of joint economic programs.

Having discussed cultural and humanitarian interaction, the Presidents decided to announce the year 2014 as the one of Tourism in the CIS.

The heads of state approved programs on combating crime, human trafficking, drug trade and terrorism.

The presidency in the Commonwealth in 2014 passes over to the Ukraine.