Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian Foreign Ministry and other federal executive agencies to adopt policies that will develop the cooperation with the CIS in the socio-economic, humanitarian, law enforcement and other areas, reports the press service of the Kremlin.
According to presidential decree of May 7, the development of multilateral cooperation and integration processes in the CIS is a key area of Russian foreign policy. It is also mandated to promote the entry into force of the Treaty on the free trade zone from October 18, 2011, and actively involve various forms of multilateral diplomacy, including the BRICS, "Group of Twenty," "the Group of Eight", the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Departments, according to presidential decree, are instructed to intensify collective international efforts to counter global challenges and threats, including the danger of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, international terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, regional conflicts.
In addition, it is requested to continue and actively expand the cooperation with Belarus within the Union State and contribute to the deepening of integration within the Eurasian Customs Union and Single Economic Space.
Putin also emphasized the support to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He advocated the creation of a common economic and human space from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and the potential agreement with the European Union on the abolition of visas for short trips, to uphold the principles of equality and mutual benefit in working on a new basic agreement between Russia and the EU strategic partnership.
Putin called for the effective implementation of the program "Partnership for Modernization", to develop mutually beneficial energy partnerships in order to create a single European energy sector, ensuring strict compliance with existing bilateral and multilateral treaty obligations.
Special attention is given to the the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, the president called to increase participation in regional integration processes in order to facilitate rapid socio-economic development of Eastern Siberia and Russian Far East. Ministry of Foreign Affairs was told to deepen equal and confidential partnership and strategic cooperation with China, India, Vietnam, to develop mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand and other key states in the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, the Russian foreign ministry was told to develop relations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, to promote initiatives to reform the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in order to make it an effective mechanism for collective interaction in the interests of all member states.
