“It is certainly crucial for us”: Putin on the CIS

During an operational meeting with permanent members of the Security Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to strengthen cooperation with the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). According to RIA Novosti, the president deemed it necessary to improve mechanisms in this direction.

He emphasized that Russia's relationships with CIS countries are a key component of Moscow's foreign policy priorities. “We will discuss this topic today. And once again, I want to emphasize that it is certainly crucial for us,” stated the president.

According to Putin, there are many initiatives in this area, a productive dialogue is currently ongoing with leading partners, and the volume of trade is substantial, with many of them working with Russia within the frameworks of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). From Putin's perspective, recent events demonstrate that all this work is yielding positive results.