Dushanbe hosts Council of CIS prime ministers

Dushanbe has opened a session of the Council of CIS Heads of Governments. Russia is represented by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Unlike all other countries, Ukraine has delegated to the summit its ambassador to Tajikistan, Victor Nikitiuk.

Now the session is being held in a narrow format. The meeting will be focused on strengthening and developing partnerships, as well as the tasks identified at the recent meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of Governments in Kazakhstan, RIA Novosti reported.

The director of the WTO-Inform Analysis Center, Yevgeniy Korchevoy, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the economy, foreign policy and security are likely to be discussed at today's meeting.

Issues of bilateral trade, including "the removal of barriers to mutual trade, participation in the EEU, joint measures to combat the crisis situation, issues of financial support for each other, the formation and operation of the Development Bank of the CIS" should be considered in the first place.

"The relationship with the EU, the USA, Canada and Australia – those countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia – relations with the BRICS and maybe opposition to Orange Revolutions are on the agenda," the expert believes.

"Well, plus military cooperation, although in our view, economic topics are more important. In particular, I mean protection of our common interests, airspace, territory and, respectively, the problems in the southern border, the border with Afghanistan," he added.

"In my opinion, there is a large set of issues related to the struggle against terrorism: Syria, Iraq, Right Sector and so on," Yevgeniy Korchevoy concluded.

The chairman of the discussion club 'Eurasian Choice', Roman Shkolin, in his turn, suggested that the prospects of the participation of Tajikistan in the Eurasian project can be discussed. "As far as I know, the President's office and the relevant agencies of Tajikistan are studying this question, taking into account all the benefits of Eurasian integration for the economy of Tajikistan. And something tells me that the day is near when Tajikistan will officially announce its intention to join the EEU," he hopes.

However, the focus will be on the economic issues. "This is the orientation towards the market of the CIS countries. And I think that the issue of regional security, particularly in the area of ​​drug trafficking, will probably be raised at the meeting," the expert said.

"Of course, they will consider the strengthening of cooperation in the fight against extremist organizations and the strengthening of state borders," Roman Shkolin added.