CIS leaders meet in Moscow for annual summit

Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) gathered for an annual summit in the Moscow Kremlin.

Russian president Vladimir Putin in his speech at the top of the meeting highlighted trade and cooperation as the key topics of the event.

Putin held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been engaged in peace talks for the past year since Azerbaijan in September 2023 retook the former breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh after 30 years of de facto independence, prompting almost its entire ethnic Armenian population of around 100,000 to flee to Armenia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the opening of the CIS Summit in Moscow that interaction within the Commonwealth of Independent States is a key foreign policy priority for Russia, and Moscow will focus on enhancing collaboration in the region.

"I would like to emphasize that interaction within the CIS is one of the main priorities of Russia’s foreign policy. These member countries are our closest neighbors, friends, and strategic partners. Of course, we are determined to strengthen our cooperation in every way possible," the Russian president emphasized, reiterating that this was the focus of Russia’s presidency in 2024 and the goal behind all the events it planned therein.

"We would like to express our appreciation to all of our colleagues here today for their support and active participation in the work on their [relevant events’] implementation," Putin added.

Regarding the meeting’s agenda, the Russian president said it was quite extensive. "We will surely pay much attention to economic issues and prospects for further expansion of trade and investment cooperation in the CIS," he said.