The Commonwealth of Independent States played an important role in strengthening cooperation and coordination of efforts in various spheres after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Fikret Sadykhov, an Azerbaijani diplomat and professor of the Western University, told Vestnik Kavkaza.
Structures, although not supernational, still coordinated socio-economic, political, humanitarian development, which is quite a positive factor that cannot be ignored, he says.
But the CIS has never been an influential international organization because it united subregional organizations of a wide range of interests. The CIS itself formed many unions and alliances: the EurAsEC, GUAM, the Customs Union, CSTO and etc. They have own priorities, principles and view on future on the post-Soviet space, Sadykhov says.
The expert believes that the CIS is losing its relevance today due to new integration ideas. This is why the Russian authorities are talking about forming the Eurasian Union, which includes three states that have signed a deal. The process will probably continue and affect other republics, Sadykhov believes.
