ASHGABAT, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on Friday adopted a declaration marking the organization's 35th anniversary, which underscores the CIS's commitment to promoting strategic partnership among its member states.
The document was signed during a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan.
The declaration said international relations are undergoing profound changes and that the CIS is committed to promoting strategic partnership among its member states and serving as a unique platform for dialogue and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect.
In the field of security, the declaration identified key areas for joint action, including combating international terrorism, transnational crime, illicit arms and drug trafficking, corruption and money laundering, human trafficking and illegal migration, as well as preventing and responding to emergencies and combating cybercrime.
The leaders also expressed their intention to further enhance the international standing of the CIS and reaffirmed their readiness to strengthen constructive cooperation, sustain political and interparliamentary dialogue, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation among member states in economic, trade, cultural and other fields, and improve the organization's operational efficiency and the practical impact of its initiatives.
The meeting's outcome also included the decision that Uzbekistan would assume the CIS chairmanship in 2027, with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan serving as co-chairs. The next meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State is scheduled for October 2027 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.
The CIS was established in December 1991. ■