Commonwealth of common destiny

Integration allows states to develop and strengthen their sovereignty

The meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council held in Moscow last week cannot be described as routine. Against a critical moment in international politics, it demonstrated close positions of the CIS countries’ leadership on most pressing issues. The very fact of this is a significant element in ensuring stability in our shared geopolitical space. There are also problems, including serious and long-standing ones, yet the main thing is that a path has been outlined for their resolution.

Moscow, Russia

Dimensions and transformations  

When the CIS was established, its participants adhered to two opposing strategies regarding the development of integration. For most, the CIS became a new form of union of the former Soviet republics, which naturally emerged after a long period of being within the same space of one great power. For some, the Commonwealth represented a variety of a civilised divorce, which did not imply any advanced co-operation. This position was largely maintained by Ukraine. Georgia acted similarly, and recently Moldova has also taken this path. Such contradictions hindered a more dynamic development of the CIS. The leaders of the states sometimes reached compromises, taking into account the views of those colleagues who showed pessimism regarding the prospects of the Commonwealth. As a result, other integration formations among the member states were established: the CSTO, the EAEU, and the Union State. Thus, integration took on a multi-speed character.  
Nevertheless, a great deal has been achieved over the past years. A full-fledged parliamentary dimension has been formed. The CIS Interparliamentary Assembly has become an authoritative international institution that plays an important role in ensuring the conduct of elections and monitoring electoral processes, inter alia. The CIS’ humanitarian component allows us to continue speaking the same language — both in a narrow practical sense and in the broad philosophical sense. Strong co-operative contacts have been established between executive authorities, enabling the implementation of numerous joint projects, including those related to national security.  
Moreover, the very format of regular meetings of heads of state and government is an important factor in co-ordinating actions on the international stage.
Thus, at the meeting in Moscow, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan found themselves sitting at the same round table.

Priority tasks  

The recent meeting was held under conditions of unprecedented external pressure exerted in four areas. Firstly, there is a direct military threat. The USA and its NATO satellites are actively advancing offensive infrastructure towards the CIS borders. Strike groups are being formed with the aim of targeting the territories of our states. This is not limited to the Union State. The USA is beefing up military presence in the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far East. Secondly, the West continues to impose illegal sanctions in the economy. In the case of Russia and Belarus, they are direct while secondary sanctions are applied to our partners and allies. Notably, the USA and the EU intend to tighten their sanctions strategy. Thirdly, there is ongoing blatant interference from the West in the CIS’ internal affairs. This includes biased attitudes towards electoral processes, and attempts to coerce a change in foreign policy and align it with US interests. Fourthly, there is a systematic promotion of an ideology alien to the CIS countries, with attacks on historical memory and the traditional foundations of our societies.  

All these issues were discussed by the participants of the meeting in Moscow. The President of Belarus effectively formulated a plan for overcoming them and strengthening the CIS as a full-fledged and efficient integration structure. Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasised, “A strong union of powerful, economically self-sufficient states is needed.”

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to address four tasks: 1) strengthen the CIS international status, 2) counter the imposition of alien extremist ideologies, 3) achieve technological sovereignty, 4) promote and cultivate the value system of the Commonwealth. These clear points of the plan reflect a genuine approach and are aimed at reinforcing the international positions not only of the CIS but also of each member state. This is why the Belarusian leader’s plan resonates with other suggestions from his counterparts. 
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, highlighted the economic ties within the CIS. According to him, in the first half of 2024, the aggregate GDP of the CIS countries increased by 4.7 percent, with dynamic growth of investments in fixed capital, and industrial production, the volume of cargo transportation, and retail turnover all being on the rise. Independent financial structures are being set up, with the share of national currencies in commercial operations between the CIS countries already exceeding 85 percent. The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, initiated the adoption of the co-operation programme for deradicalisation for 2025-2027, aimed to eradicate the causes and conditions that contribute to the emergence and spread of radical ideologies. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, proposed the idea of establishing a CIS Plus format to expand the regional ties within the CIS. 

Holding together  

Foreign critics of our Commonwealth have been confounded. The leaders of the CIS not only demonstrated optimism regarding the prospects of this integration project but also outlined a concrete programme of action.  

The recent meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council can be described as one of the most successful in its entire history. Truth be told, the relationships between the CIS countries have gone through various periods, including some less than favourable ones. A great deal has been done by opponents to sow discord among the once brotherly republics. Now, many understand that only together can we strengthen our sovereignty and ensure a confident, stable, and secure future for our peoples.  

On the Great Victory 

The address of the CIS heads of state to the peoples of the Commonwealth and the global community in connection with the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 became a symbol of our ideological unity. It is significant that the right to announce it was entrusted to the President of Belarus. This is a tribute to the feat accomplished by the Belarusian people during the war and to the sacrifices in the name of the Great Victory. This also acknowledges the immense contribution of modern Belarus — and personally of Aleksandr Lukashenko — to the preservation of the memory of that feat and those sacrifices. The struggle for historical truth began from the first days of the election of the President of Belarus. It has become exemplary for many.

By Vadim Gigin, deputy of the House of Representatives, Candidate of Historical Sciences