In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is brewing a reform, which would enhance the effectiveness of the organization in conditions of economic crisis. According to the Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee Sergei Lebedev, the CIS elimination of the question, but its members consider it necessary to adapt the organization to new conditions. The initiator of the reforms is Kazakhstan, and the moderator can become the presidency this year Kyrgyzstan. It is expected that concrete proposals will be announced at the anniversary summit of the CIS which will pass in Bishkek on 16 September.
The offer of Kazakhstan on the reform of the CIS was the main topic held on Friday in Moscow the meeting of foreign Ministers of the countries-participants CIS, informs “Kommersant”. In discussing this question of high-ranking diplomats avoided the word “reform,” preferring to talk about adaptation to new conditions, “transformation” and “optimisation”. A diplomatic source familiar with the position of the Kazakh party, explained that Astana wants to make the CIS “a compact organization”, which would not duplicate the functions of the EEU and the CSTO. To do this, believe in Kazakhstan, it is important to abandon some overgrown branch bodies of the CIS, to render it “less cumbersome and more efficient.”
The Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee Sergei Lebedev told journalists attending the meeting that the optimization of the activities of the Commonwealth is gathering momentum. The reason for this, including economic difficulties in the countries of the CIS. The reformers now is to cut funding for some of the bureaucratic structures at the expense of their reduction, but without affecting their efficiency.
“All stated that it is a natural process. The desire to make innovations in the activities of the Commonwealth objective. The one who stands still and does not respond to the imperative of the time, is doomed to a deceleration or even stagnation,” said Lebedev. However, he assured that “any liquidation or downsizing of the Commonwealth of the question”, and all steps aimed solely at improving the efficiency. According to Lebedev, many of the proposals relating to adjustments in the work of the Commonwealth is likely to be implemented.
The moderator of the reform of the CIS is ready to become Kyrgyzstan, which this year is Chairman of the Commonwealth. This was stated by the Minister of foreign Affairs Erlan Abdyldaev at a press conference in Moscow. He stressed that in Bishkek, the CIS is considered a key platform for interaction of post Soviet countries and promised to adopt a balanced approach to reform, without resorting to extremes.
How it will look like the reform of the CIS, the Ministers did not explain. A diplomatic source of “Kommersant” familiar with the negotiations, said that “there are many ideas, but no consensus yet”. Concrete proposals on optimization of work of the Commonwealth should be prepared for the anniversary summit of CIS presidents to be held in Bishkek on September 16. Before June 7-8 summit of heads of government, where can be declared the preliminary results of work in this direction.
The Executive Committee of the CIS, “Kommersant” reported that in 2016 the budget has not been indexed and increased. The budget for 2017 in all likelihood, will remain the same – about 800 million rubles. It is formed by contributions of participants in proportion to their GDP. More than 70% of the CIS budget consists of contributions of Russia.
