Practical stage of the realization of Ashgabat Declaration on strategic economic cooperation in the CIS - under the spotlight of the conference in Moscow
In Moscow, the CIS Executive Committee held a scientific and practical conference on the role and significance of the CIS Declaration on strategic economic cooperation in strengthening economic integration in the Eurasian space. This document was initiated by Turkmenistan and unanimously approved by all member-countries at the summit of heads of state in Ashgabat on 11 October.
The conference, moderated by the councilor of the Turkmen Embassy to Russia Serdar Durdyev, was attended by heads of diplomatic missions of the CIS, diplomats, representatives of interstate and intergovernmental bodies, business and academic circles, the CIS Executive Committee, mass media.
As noted by the speakers of the forum, the provisions of the Declaration are aimed at advancing the efficiency of economic ties in the Commonwealth through the full unlocking the socio-economic potential of each country and the CIS.
Welcoming the participants of the meeting, Chairman of the Executive Committee Sergey Lebedev noted that over the past months of this year, the supreme bodies of the CIS have made many important decisions that determine the direction of development in the medium term, taking into account the current political and economic challenges and realities.
In his opinion, the Declaration on strategic economic cooperation will play a significant role in the emerging system of new partnership mechanisms and that is quite natural. After all, the document balances common and national interests, envisages coordinated approaches and priorities for the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation
Lebedev quoted the remarks of President Berdymuhamedov made by him at the October meeting of the Council of CIS heads of state in Ashgabat. “We need to be able to implement the competitive advantages of our countries – their geography, infrastructure compatibility, existing experience and traditions of partnership - into real deeds," the Turkmen leader said.
Among the speakers at the conference was also the head of the Department of the Ministry of finance and economy of Turkmenistan Galina Romanova, who expressed the hope that in the future forms and models of interaction based on the compatibility of interests of the CIS member countries will be developed, serving another essential step towards the effective implementation of the multifaceted potential of the CIS countries.
-The economic component of the Declaration is that the CIS countries could effectively integrate into world economic relations as a space where major transport and energy projects have been realized, modern infrastructure is created, the use of the economic potential of each CIS member country is being widening, – she added.
Strengthening international and regional connectivity appears to be a significant vector of cooperation. And as Romanova underlined, the development of dry ports and terminals, improving the quality of infrastructure, financing transport projects, including public-private partnerships, and promoting the use of intermodal transport can become the defining points of growth.
In his speech, the head of the Department of foreign economic cooperation of the Ministry of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan Maksat Chariyev agreed with the fact that today transport cooperation is in the front line of efforts in the CIS. “It is especially in demand today against the background of a significant increase in freight and passenger traffic," the Turkmen diplomat said, noting that the CIS already has good models of cooperation. In particular, this is the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran rail line, which opens good prospects for expanding the volume and quality of trade and economic cooperation on the Eurasian continent.
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Moscow Polad Bulbul Oglu spoke about Azerbaijan's interest in building up the existing transport capacity and existing transit opportunities for the implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects.
In turn, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan Botirjon Asadov said that Tashkent proposes the development of transport and transit corridors as one of the priorities of its chairmanship in the CIS.
At present, with the approval of Ashgabat Declaration at the leadership level, the most responsible and complicated work is to materialize it in the life. For this purpose, as reported at the conference, the main provisions of the Declaration are already included in drafts of some policy documents of the Commonwealth – the Concept of further CIS development and the Strategy of economic development of CIS until 2030.
The later one has already been agreed and will be considered at the next session of the CIS Economic Council, which will meet under Turkmenistan chairmanship in Moscow on 6 December.
A Working group meeting will be held on 10-11 December to discuss the draft Action Plan for the Strategy’s first phase for 2021-2025.
