Joint Statement of CIS Leaders Following Their Informal Meeting in Yalta

 

We, President of Azerbaijan Aliev, President of Armenia Sargsyan, President of Belarus Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Nazarbayev, President of Russia Medvedev, President of Ukraine Yanukovych, Chairman of the Executive Committee – CIS Executive Secretary Lebedev, heads of member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, assess positively the results of the informal meeting in Ukraine, during which issues of economic and investment cooperation within the CIS and prospects of joint projects in transportation and tourism infrastructure, including those at the regional level, were discussed.

 

We declare that the growth of living standards of citizens and improvement of their welfare are the most important tasks of the CIS in modern environment and consider intensification of economic cooperation the priority of the Commonwealth.

 

Particular attention was dedicated to liberalization of trade between our countries. It was agreed to continue active work on the new Agreement on free trade area and consider this issue at the next Summit of the CIS.

 

Given the existing positive experience, aiming to ensure sustainable development of all countries of the Commonwealth, we affirm the need for further development of a long-term social-economic cooperation within the CIS framework.

 

We assert the intention to participate actively in the implementation of important infrastructure projects.

 

In this context, we believe that the conducted constructive exchange of views on development of international transport corridors and possible mutually beneficial participation in projects by the interested member states of the Commonwealth was useful.

 

We point out the feasibility of joint implementation of investment projects aimed at expanding the network of resort and recreation, medical and other facilities in the Commonwealth countries.

 

In the framework of execution of the decision of the Heads of State of May 8, 2010 to declare 2012 the Year of Sport and Healthy Life in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and with regard to preparations in Ukraine to host 2012 European Football Championship and in Russia – the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, we highlight feasibility of joint participation of the interested parties in the construction and modernization of stadiums, sports facilities and other necessary infrastructure.

 

We also welcome conducting Hockey World Championship in Minsk in 2014.

 

We expresses support to the initiative to hold International Conference "Twenty-five years of the Chernobyl disaster. Security of the Future” on April 2011 in Kyiv, dedicated to overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, including the question of transforming the Shelter into an environmentally safe system.