Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  The Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) met on 7 October  in Moscow, as reported by the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.

The meeting included foreign ministers from various CIS member states, including Jeyhun Bayramov (Azerbaijan), Ararat Mirzoyan (Armenia), Maksim Ryzhankov (Belarus), Murat Nurtleu (Kazakhstan), Jeenbek Kulubaev (Kyrgyzstan), Sergey Lavrov (Russia), and Sirojiddin Mukhriddin (Tajikistan), along with Bakhtiyor Saidov (Uzbekistan), Esen Aydogdyyev (Turkmenistan), and Sergey Lebedev, the CIS Secretary-General.

The meeting was conducted in both narrow and broad formats.

In the narrow format, the foreign ministers exchanged views on pressing international issues and cooperation within the CIS framework. A decision was made regarding the date and location of the next meeting, which will take place on 11 April 2025, in Kazakhstan.

In the broad format, the delegations discussed and adopted a Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Physical Culture and Sports. The document emphasizes the significance of dialogue on international sports cooperation and the role of sports as a unique tool for fostering social and economic connections, promoting mutual respect, and strengthening intergovernmental relations in a spirit of peace and good-neighborliness.

The Statement welcomes the development of new formats for international sports events and underscores the importance of strengthening the shared cultural and humanitarian space of the CIS.

Additionally, the foreign ministers adopted a second Statement condemning the use of unilateral restrictive measures in international relations, asserting that such actions contradict the UN Charter and international law.

The document advises states to refrain from enacting, spreading, or applying such measures, as they hinder socio-economic development and violate human rights.

The ministers signed a Plan for Multilevel Inter-Ministerial Consultations within the CIS for 2025, covering topics such as coordination of positions in the UN and collaboration with other international organizations.

They also approved an Action Plan for 2025-2026 aimed at implementing the Strategy for International Youth Cooperation for 2021-2030, which includes both traditional and new initiatives in the CIS space.

Furthermore, the meeting endorsed an Action Plan for 2024-2025 dedicated to declaring Ashgabat as the City of New Sports Opportunities within the CIS, comprising a series of championships and international sports events in the Turkmen capital.

Decisions were made regarding four new base organizations among CIS member states for cooperation, including the Federal Chamber of Lawyers of Russia, the Academy of the Federal Security Service of Russia, the Russian Academy of Media Industry, and the Association of Volunteer Centers of Russia.

Lastly, several project documents were approved for consideration by the CIS Council of Heads of State and the Council of Heads of Government, including plans for humanitarian cooperation, the declaration of 2027 as the Year of Legal Enlightenment, and the designation of Cultural Capitals for the CIS in 2025, 2026, and 2027.