We, the heads of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (hereinafter – the CIS, the Commonwealth), attach great importance to the implementation of the economic interests of the Commonwealth and each of the CIS member countries, the creation of effective partnership mechanisms that allow improving the development of economic relations both within the CIS and at the continental and intercontinental levels of cooperation with other countries and international organizations,
based on the rich experience available both in the CIS and in each of the CIS member states, to create and improve economic relations,
representing one of the world’s largest regional intergovernmental organizations recognized by the international community and based on the cooperation of equal independent states,
given the emergence of new global and regional risks and challenges,
striving for consolidating and joining the efforts of the CIS member states in order to expand strategic economic cooperation, searching for new formats of interaction at the continental and intercontinental levels,
we declare the further development of strategic economic cooperation of the CIS member states aimed at strengthening the stability and sustainable economic development, the steady expansion of multilateral constructive dialogue in the name of global peace, progress and growth of the well-being of the population.
The basis of strategic economic cooperation of the CIS member states is a strong alliance of equal partners, which is an important component of stable economic growth in the Eurasian space. This alliance is a long-term and promising economic partner for European and Asian countries, a major energy and transport transit hub of continental importance.
The development of new approaches to joint activities both within the Commonwealth and within the framework of world economic relations, the consolidation of its status as a leading organization in the development of the world economy, the search for new formats of cooperation take an important place in the development and strengthening of the CIS.
The CIS member states support and actively implement the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for the period up to 2030 in order to strengthen universal peace in conditions of greater freedom.
Effective use of the full range of opportunities, including mutually beneficial economic cooperation and cooperation within the CIS, opens up real prospects for dynamic economic growth and strengthening their influence on the development of the world economic system for the CIS member states.
Strategic economic cooperation of the CIS member states is based on compliance with international treaties, legislation of the CIS member states, mutual benefit, equality and non-discrimination, transparency, economic efficiency, resource conservation, environmental safety and the use of high technologies.
The goals of the strategic economic cooperation of the CIS member states are the following: further strengthening of the fundamental foundations of the Commonwealth, its integration (as well as the integration of each of the CIS member states) into world economic relations as a space where major transport and energy projects are carried out, modern infrastructure, communications, international transport corridors, logistics centers of interregional and global scale are created; a significant building-up of the economic potential of the Commonwealth, on the basis of which the effective development and stable economic growth of each of the CIS member states will be ensured, including reducing poverty, solving unemployment problems; raising the international authority of the CIS, strengthening complementarity and effective use of the economic potential of the CIS member states for the benefit of their peoples.
The tasks of the strategic economic cooperation of the CIS member States are defined as following:
expanding the influence of the Commonwealth and CIS member states on world economic processes through the initiation of joint global and regional investment projects and programs for the development of economic territories;
creation of effective partnership mechanisms based on the economic interests of the CIS member States and third countries and / or authoritative international organizations to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for the period up to 2030;
formation of favorable conditions for strategic economic cooperation, integration of potential opportunities of the CIS member states in the realization of global and regional investment projects and development programs while solving environmental problems;
increasing the competitiveness of the CIS member states through the widespread use of innovations and nanotechnology, integrated use of existing natural and economic resources, combining efforts to support small and medium-sized businesses, expanding forms of cooperation and providing support for partnerships within the global economic system;
consistent integration into the world transport system and further development of national infrastructures of the CIS member states along the international transport corridors, connecting routes and hubs in the East – West and North – South directions;
integration of geographical and infrastructural capabilities, technical, technological and transit potentials of the CIS member states;
ensuring and strengthening financial stability in the Commonwealth;
combating corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing and other threats and challenges in order to strengthen economic stability, including at the global level, and ensure international security;
achieving maximum efficiency in jointly addressing the challenges posed by globalization, using its advantages to strengthen the positions of the Commonwealth and CIS member states in the international financial and commodity markets;
providing an effective dialogue platform at all levels for the implementation of the above tasks for the preparation of relevant international instrument within the Commonwealth and strengthening its authority and position in the international capital markets.
Priority directions of activity of the CIS member states for achievement of the specified purposes and formulated tasks will be the following:
liberalization of conditions and further development of mutual trade, abolition of existing restrictions and waivers from the free trade regime, including those related to the import of raw materials and export of finished products, in order to ensure free access of goods of national producers to the markets of the CIS member states;
development of industrial cooperation relations between enterprises and technologically interconnected industries, development of interstate programs for technical re-equipment, innovative technologies, interaction in the advanced areas of scientific and technical cooperation;
development and implementation of cooperation projects in such areas as agricultural production, light industry, production of building materials, jewelry industry, and other industries;
development and implementation of major joint investment projects, primarily in the field of transport, energy and telecommunications, which have a decisive effect on the development of the economy of the CIS member states, attracting investments for their implementation, including in the special economic zones of the CIS member States;
creation of stable systems of international energy supplies (both electricity and hydrocarbons), development of effective schemes and models of interaction both in the CIS and global energy markets;
participation in the UN framework in the working out of mechanisms for the development of cooperation in the energy sector;
deepening cooperation in the field of energy in order to improve the reliability of energy supplies and optimize the use of fuel and energy resources;
cooperation in the field of production, transportation and transit of hydrocarbons;
development of cooperation in the field of transport, being one of the most important elements of the world economy, including the development and competitiveness of international transport corridors passing through the territory of the CIS member states; creation of an extensive and secure international transport infrastructure, taking into account the interests of all countries in the region and with the participation of international organizations; implementation of major international and regional projects in the field of transport and infrastructure aimed at the development of interregional relations in the CIS and the implementation of the transit potential of the Commonwealth, allowing to bring economic and trade cooperation between the CIS member states and third countries to a qualitatively new level, to encourage interregional relations in the long term, to lay the foundation for the architecture of a new geo-economic space on the Eurasian continent;
expansion of cooperation of CIS member states with regional economic commissions, in particular the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in the context of sustainable transport development, sustainable transport connectivity and modernization of international transport infrastructure in Eurasia;
development of transport and communication system of the Commonwealth (railways and roads, airports and seaports, pipeline transport) for the purpose of rational placement of productive forces in all CIS member states and ensuring sustainable mobility of the population, increasing domestic and international tourism, business activation;
improving the efficiency of tariff policy and eliminating the impact of fiscal and administrative barriers in the realization of international cargo transportation; optimization of transportation processes; increasing the level of interaction between different agencies of transport systems, including seaports of the CIS member states in transit transportation; harmonization of national air traffic management systems of the CIS member states in accordance with ICAO standards and recommended practices;
creation of large transport and logistics centers;
further development of cooperation in the financial sphere;
expansion of scientific, technical and innovative cooperation as a basis for the creation of joint competitive products, including in the markets of third countries;
development and joint use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, in order to increase the competitiveness of the CIS member tates and ensure information security within the Commonwealth;
further development of cooperation in education, science, health, labor, employment and social protection, culture, information, sports and tourism;
interaction on environmental issues;
interaction on prevention of emergency situations and elimination of consequences of natural disasters; activation of joint activities on prevention and counteraction to natural and man-made disasters;
strengthening cooperation with the UN and other international organizations to address issues related to environmental protection, climate change, water resources management, biodiversity conservation, combating land degradation, in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for the period up to 2030;
strengthening of the regional component – multilateral cooperation of the CIS member states and their regions in addressing issues of economic, social and cultural development of regions and border areas, strengthening of friendship and good neighborliness.
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The implementation of the goals of the Declaration on strategic economic cooperation of the Commonwealth of Independent States member states will allow: to full-scale use of the socio-economic potential of each member state of the CIS and the Commonwealth as a whole, to expand their equal, mutually beneficial and comprehensive cooperation, to steadily increase mutual economic ties; to increase the competitiveness of the national economy, to resist the risks and threats of world crises; to provide access to a qualitatively new level of development, strengthen the position of the CIS member states in the world economy, promote the growth of the welfare of citizens.
Ashgabat, 11 October 2019