ArmenPress
March 18 2005
BELARUS PRESIDENT WARNS AGAINST CIS COLLAPSE
BELARUS, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: Belarus president Alexander
Lukashenka warned today that the Commonwealth of the Independent
States (CIS), a grouping of former 12 Soviet republics, risks
imminent collapse if no drastic reforms are taken to make it viable.
Addressing a meeting of CIS foreign ministers in Minsk Lukashenka
said the CIS is going now through a turmoil that may put an end to
it.
Lukashenka said he was sounding the opinion of all CIS leaders.
“Today’s meeting is important, we all will bear the responsibility
for the CIS disintegration that will happen if we do not oppose it,”
he said.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov was quoted by RIA Novosti
news agency as saying that the meeting will sum up all proposals for
reforming the CIS. He said many of CIS bodies which proved to be
ineffective, will be liquidated.