CIS leaders agree to promote cooperation in trade, security - Putin

SOCHI, October 11. /TASS/. CIS leaders agreed to promote mutual trade and coordinate their approaches in foreign policy and security spheres, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday after the summit meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State. Leaders "discussed in detail the way of using CIS potential to build up goods flows and investments, broaden industrial and technology cooperation," Putin said. "An agreement was reached to undertake extra efforts for stimulation of mutual trade, whose volumes rose by 25% to $75 bln year-to-date, It appears that work should be more active for this purpose on harmonization of norms and standards of the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Union; barriers on movement routes of goods and services should be identified and eliminated," the president said. CIS leaders also "agreed to proceed with close coordination in foreign policy matters and in the security sphere," Putin added. Read more