Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to convene an informal summit of leaders from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in St. Petersburg for a traditional New Year's Eve meeting. This gathering has been a customary format of communication among heads of state in the last days of December for many years.
Prior to this informal summit, Putin presided over a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg. The event was attended by leaders such as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Sadyr Zhaparov.
Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, highlighted that Putin would have a significant opportunity to engage in discussions, particularly with Pashinyan, on the sidelines of the events. These activities are part of the two-day program in St. Petersburg involving the Russian leader and counterparts from neighboring countries.
Tradition of informal summits
Putin has consistently characterized such summits as informal gatherings within a "friendly circle," focusing on business agendas encompassing regional and international topics. He has emphasized the active development of cooperation within the CIS, citing growing trade turnover, settlements transitioning to national currencies, and the emergence of new projects in various sectors, including industry and science.
In 2024, Russia will assume the presidency of the CIS, taking over from Kyrgyzstan. Putin has outlined a rich program for Moscow's presidency, featuring about 150 events, with the main summit scheduled for October 8 in the Russian capital. The president has expressed a determination for the Russian Federation to cooperate with all CIS partners, both bilaterally and within the context of the presidency.
The CIS currently includes 11 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. However, Putin has noted that Moldova and Ukraine, in practice, have long been nominal participants and are not actively involved in the association's work.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS