Russian President Vladimir Putin will host the traditional pre-New Year informal summit of CIS leaders in St. Petersburg. The pre-New Year meeting is a long-standing tradition within the organization, and this year is no exception.
According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the summit will include a review of Russia's chairmanship of the CIS in 2024, after which the leaders will engage in informal discussions. Russia chaired the organization this year, with Tajikistan set to assume the role in 2025.
The CIS leaders are also expected to discuss preparations for the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in 2025, with all of them invited to Moscow for the celebrations.
Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov noted that despite its informal nature, this summit offers a “great opportunity to align on all current issues and conduct bilateral contacts, which all leaders typically make use of.” He added that gifts have been prepared for the participants, and given the pre-New Year nature of the event, there will also be a cultural program.
Regarding Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Peskov mentioned that while there is no separate meeting scheduled with him, the leaders will have the opportunity to converse if needed.
Agenda in St. Petersburg
The president’s working program in the city began the previous day, with visits to the Hermitage Museum and the presentation of the “Order of Merit for the Fatherland” I class to the museum's director, Mikhail Piotrovsky. In the evening, Putin held talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
On December 26, a summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is expected to take place, with both narrow and expanded sessions. The Kremlin has prepared a “solid package of documents” for discussion.
All events will be held near St. Petersburg at the “Igora” resort complex in Leningrad Region.
EAEU and CIS
The EAEU includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, which are also members of the CIS. The CIS currently consists of 11 countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. As President Putin noted, Moldova and Ukraine are de facto nominal members, no longer actively participating in the organization's work. Armenia is the chair of the EAEU in 2024, with Belarus set to take over in 2025.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: KiraHundeDog/Pixabay
Based on TASS materials