Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to participate in a meeting of the CIS Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs (CMFA) in Bishkek on Thursday. He arrived the previous evening for the event, which is chaired by Kyrgyzstan. The previous CMFA meeting took place in April in Samarkand, and this time it will serve as a precursor to the upcoming CIS summit in Bishkek on October 13.
Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the ministers attending the meeting will exchange views on current international and regional matters. The situation surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is expected to be a key topic of discussion. They will also explore prospects for cooperation within the CIS framework, taking into account Russia's upcoming presidency in the association starting on January 1, 2024.
The foreign ministers will convene a day before the CIS summit and are expected to approve drafts of joint statements on significant issues that will be submitted to the Commonwealth's leaders for consideration. They will also endorse the plan for inter-midway consultations for 2024.
Among the priorities on the meeting's agenda is the reinforcement of interaction between CIS countries in law enforcement and cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as the expansion of the association's international ties. The meeting will also focus on initiatives to promote the Russian language as a medium for interethnic communication, in alignment with the Year of the Russian language that was announced in the CIS for 2023.
It's possible that Lavrov may take the opportunity to update his counterparts on the current situation concerning Ukraine. Additionally, the ongoing Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict remains a pressing issue within the CIS. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin previously indicated that foreign ministers from Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan could engage in talks on the margins of the CIS CMFA meeting. However, the Armenian delegation has confirmed that it will be represented by the deputy head of the diplomatic department and has no plans to meet with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Bishkek.
Lavrov has emphasized the active work toward realizing Russian President Vladimir Putin's vision of a broad Eurasian partnership. Within this framework, there is an aim to deepen multifaceted connections between integration associations like the CIS, EEU, CSTO, and SCO. Despite threats of secondary sanctions from the United States and the European Union, the Russian government has noticed an increase in the volume of trade between the Russian Federation and Commonwealth countries. Moscow remains committed to protecting economic cooperation within the CIS from any adverse effects resulting from the actions of unfriendly states.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS