Commonwealth of Independent States

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization focused on cooperation on political, economic, environmental, humanitarian, cultural and other issues between a number of former Soviet Republics.

On December 8, 1991 in Minsk the Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States was signed by the heads of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.

According to the CIS Charter, the Council of the Heads of State is the supreme body of the Commonwealth, which discusses and resolves fundamental issues related to the activities of member states in the field of their common interests.

Meetings of the Council of the Heads of Government, the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Economic Council of the CIS are also held on a regular basis to discuss issues of interstate cooperation within the framework of the CIS.

The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member States holds inter-parliamentary consultations, develops joint proposals in the field of activity of national parliaments.

The CIS Economic Court was established to ensure unified application of agreements between the CIS member states and the economic obligations and treaties based on them.

The Council of Permanent Plenipotentiaries of the Member States of the CIS under the statutory and other bodies of the Commonwealth facilitates the interaction of states in matters of mutual interest.

The CIS Executive Committee is a permanent executive, administrative and coordinating body of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

An important contribution to the CIS coordinated actions is made by intersectoral councils covering economically and socially significant areas of interaction. Such bodies include the heads of the relevant state authorities of the CIS member states.

Humanitarian cooperation is coordinated by the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation and the Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation of the CIS Member States. Intersectoral councils are also active in the area of security.

The central element of the economic configuration is the CIS multilateral free trade zone with a market capacity of more than 280 million people. In October 2011 the CIS Free Trade Zone Agreement was signed. The document significantly reduced the number of exemptions from the free trade regime upon import.

The headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States is located in the city of Minsk. The department of the CIS Executive Committee responsible for economic issues is situated in Moscow.

In 2022, the Agreement on Cooperation of the CIS Member States in Combating Corruption and the Agreement on the Establishment of the Advisory Council of Heads of Electoral Bodies of the CIS Member States were signed. Statements on cooperation in the climate sphere and on developing cultural cooperation were adopted, alongside a decision to rename the position of Chairman of the Executive Committee – CIS Executive Secretary to Secretary General of the CIS, effective January 1, 2023.

Together with Commonwealth partner countries, a broad range of key documents across the economic, humanitarian, scientific, and social spheres was signed throughout 2022. These included the Concept for Scientific, Technical, and Technological Cooperation and its Action Plan, the Concept for the Digital Transformation of the Chemical Industry, the Agreement on Cooperation in the Prevention of and Response to Public Health Emergencies of a Sanitary and Epidemiological Nature, and the Agreement on the Exchange of Biological Material.

At the initiative of the Republic of Belarus, a Working Group was established in 2022 to monitor the economic situation in the Commonwealth states. The group drafted and adopted the List of Joint Response Measures to Emerging Challenges (approved by a decision of the CIS Economic Council on June 10, 2022), which provides for stimulating mutual investment, deepening industrial cooperation and agricultural ties, simplifying customs regulations, establishing new logistics chains, and adopting digital technologies.

The Concept for the Development of Industrial Cooperation and the Set of Measures for the Development of Industrial Cooperation up to 2030, signed at the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government on June 8, 2023, in Sochi, laid the groundwork for identifying priority areas of industrial cooperation.

In 2023, the Agreement on Free Trade in Services, Establishment, Operations, and Investments was signed, entering into force on June 5, 2024.

The decision of the CIS Heads of State, who signed the treaty establishing the International Organization for the Russian Language (IORL) on October 13, 2023, in Bishkek, came to fruition with the adoption of documents in Moscow on March 11, 2026, creating the legal framework for the IORL to begin operations on April 1, 2026.

In 2025, the Concept of Military Cooperation of the CIS Member States up to 2030 was approved; cooperation programs were adopted for countering terrorism and extremism for 2026–2028 and strengthening border security at external borders for 2026–2030; and the Declaration on Cooperation in Ensuring Regional Energy Security was signed. The Concept for the Development of Cooperation among the CIS Member States in Light Industry and its Action Plan, the Concept for Harmonizing National Air Traffic Management Systems of the CIS Member States, and the Concept for Cooperation among the CIS Member States in Public Healthcare were also approved.

To mark Victory Day on May 9, 2025, the honorary CIS title "City of Labour Glory. 1941–1945" was awarded to the Belarusian cities of Baranovichi and Orsha, as well as a number of other CIS cities.

During the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in Minsk on September 29, 2025, several key strategic documents were signed: the Action Plan for the Second Stage (2026–2030) of the CIS Economic Development Strategy up to 2030, the CIS Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development for 2026–2035, the Strategy for the Digitalization of Key Multimodal Transport Corridors of the CIS Member States, and the Strategy for Cooperation among the CIS Member States in Developing the Information Society and the Digital Economy up to 2035 along with its Action Plan.

In October 2025, the CIS Council of Heads of State adopted decisions granting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) observer status at the CIS and establishing the "Commonwealth of Independent States Plus" format.

In 2026, the CIS Chairmanship passed to Turkmenistan.

On May 22, 2026, in Ashgabat, the CIS Council of Heads of Government adopted a decision designating Minsk (Republic of Belarus) as the CIS Youth Capital for 2027 and Karaganda (Republic of Kazakhstan) for 2028. The meeting also saw the signing of the CIS Strategy for Convention and Exhibition Activities up to 2030, the Concept for the Digital Transformation of the Mining and Metallurgical Complex of the CIS Member States and its Action Plan, and the Concept for the Interconnection of Key Transport Arteries Crossing the Territories of the CIS Member States.

In 2026, the CIS marks its 35th anniversary. Over this relatively short period, having navigated a complex developmental path, the organization has played a major role in maintaining stability across the post-Soviet space and has evolved into an enduring regional platform for multilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas.