Putin: Russia prioritizes interaction within CIS as one of main  focuses of its foreign policy

ArmInfo. The meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS in a narrow format has started  at the Grand Kremlin Palace.  In his opening remarks, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the participants of   the Council meeting, which is being hosted by the Russian side as the chairman of  the Commonwealth.  

"First of all, I would like to emphasize that  cooperation within the CIS is one of the main priorities of the  Russian Federation's foreign policy. For us, the Commonwealth  countries are our closest neighbors, friends, and strategic partners,  and we are naturally committed to strengthening our cooperation in  every possible way.

This is the focus of the Russian presidency in 2024 and the  large-scale plan of relevant events. We are grateful to all our  colleagues present here for their support and active participation in  implementing them," the Russian leader noted.  At the same time, he  emphasized that the agenda of the meetings is very busy. "Naturally,  we will focus on economic matters and the potential for expanding  trade and investment cooperation within the CIS. I believe we have  every opportunity to launch new, significant, mutually beneficial  projects in industry, agriculture, finance, and infrastructure.

We will also discuss a wide range of urgent issues within the  Commonwealth: ranging from common security to cultural and  humanitarian cooperation," Putin added.  The  agenda for today's   meeting includes 14 items that have been agreed upon by all  participating countries.