CIS DEFENSE MINISTERS TO MEET IN ST. PETERSBURG

RIA Novosti
10:21 | 15/ 10/ 2008

ST. PETERSBURG, October 15 (RIA Novosti) – The Council of CIS defense
ministers will hold its 55th meeting in St. Petersburg on Wednesday,
a spokesman for the alliance’s executive committee said.

During the meeting defense ministry officials from the
Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States are expected to
consider around 20 defense cooperation issues.

The defense ministers will also focus on ways of improving the united
air defense system of CIS countries.

In the light of developments in the North Caucasus, CIS members will
also review the role and activity of the collective CIS peacekeeping
force in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict zone.

The CIS, a loose alliance of former Soviet states, comprises Russia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Ukraine is a founding and participating
country but technically not a member state. Turkmenistan holds
associate status.