Expanding partnership within CIS meets interests of its people: Putin

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed confidence that expanding partnerships in various sectors within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) meets the fundamental interests of the people of the organisation's member countries, local media reported on Monday.

In his remarks at an informal CIS summit, Putin said, "I am convinced that expanding partnerships within the CIS in a wide range of areas meets the fundamental interests of the peoples of our countries," Russia's leading Tass news agency reported.

He said, "We will continue to work together to address the challenges of socioeconomic development, strengthening stability, and our shared security."

Putin noted that the member countries of the CIS share same view on how the world should be governed, backing the creation of a fair world order with the United Nations at its centre.

He said, "It is of fundamental importance that the countries of the Commonwealth maintain similar or identical approaches to the key challenges of our time, both global and regional."

Russian President further stated, "All CIS states are unanimous in their support for the formation of a fair world order founded on the universally recognized principles of international law, with a central coordinating role for the United Nations."

Putin congratulated the leaders and citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the upcoming new year, wishing them good health, happiness, peace, well-being, and prosperity.

Commonwealth of Independent States was established in 1991 to ensure continued cooperation in trade and military policy and recognition of borders between the States which formed part of the erstwhile USSR, except Baltic States. It has no formal political institution. Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan are the members of the groupig.