CIS Foreign Ministers discussed international cooperation issues

Uzbekistan, Tashkent, April 5 / Trend D. Azizov A wide range of issues of international politics were discussed at the regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of independent Countries, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus holding the CIS presidency Vladimir Makei and the Chairman of the Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary Sergey Lebedev told reporters on Friday. "A number of draft documents aimed at strengthening international cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, in the sphere of security and cooperation in other areas were considered," Vladimir Makei said. In particular, the foreign ministers considered the implementation of the multi-level inter-ministerial consultations plan within the Commonwealth for 2012, and adopted a respective plan for 2013. They also adopted the Statute on the Advisory Council of the heads of consular services of the Foreign Ministries of the CIS countries. The ministers discussed the Draft Agreement of CIS member states on mutual recognition of documents on higher and higher professional education, the plan of measures for 2013-2015 on implementation of the physical culture and sport development strategy of the Commonwealth member states up to 2020, as well as the issue of declaring 2014 as the Year of Tourism, as well as the protocol on amendments to the Agreement on Cooperation on the Formation of a Single Education Area in the CIS adopted on January 17, 1997 and the plan of main cooperation measures of CIS countries in the sphere of education for 2013 -2015. They also considered projects of documents aimed at the further development of co-operation in the sphere of security, including the project of CIS concept on fighting crimes committed using information technologies and the project of the agreement on the order of formation and application of joint expert groups of border agencies for fast response to border security threads on the external borders of CIS. The issue of introduction of amendments and supplements to the regulations on the coordination council of the heads of fiscal inquiry organs of CIS member states was also discussed at the meeting. After considering the proposals and comments made during the debate, the discussed draft documents will be submitted for consideration by the Council of Heads of Government and the Council of Heads of State. The next meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers will be held before the meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State in October 2013 in Minsk. The meeting was attended by delegations of foreign ministries of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.