Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev (C, front) and Sergei Lebedev (R, front), Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) attend the CIS summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Oct. 10, 2008. The leaders of the CIS on Friday pledged to enhance integration within the framework of the CIS at the summit held in Bishkek. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BISHKEK, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the Commonwealth Independent States (CIS) Friday pledged to enhance integration within the framework of the CIS at a summit held in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

    The leaders held constructive talks and expressed their willingness to develop and strengthen integration within the framework of the CIS, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev told a press conference after the summit.

    They hoped that decisions made by the CIS will be more concrete and will be fulfilled under effective supervision, Bakiyev added.

    At the summit, the CIS leaders approved 19 documents aimed at promoting cooperation in such areas as economy and security and in the fight against drugs. They also agreed to make energy a key area of cooperation in 2009.

    However, the leaders failed to approve a draft strategy for the CIS' economic development till 2020.

    "A decision has been made to adjust the document and bring it forward for approval at a meeting of CIS prime ministers in Chisinau on Nov. 14," CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev said.

    The summit was held without the attendance of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, whose country announced in August that it was withdrawing from the post-Soviet alliance after a five-day conflict with Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

    "The heads of states said that the doors of the CIS are still open for Georgia," said Lebedev, who dismissed as groundless the speculation that the CIS would collapse.

    The question was not about whether the CIS should stay or cease to exist, but about how to make the organization more effective in the interests of each participating country, he said.

    The presidents of Ukraine and Azerbaijan were also absent, with Ukraine being represented by the secretary of the National Security Council and Azerbaijan by its prime minister.

    The CIS, an alliance of 11 former Soviet Republics, groups Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Turkmenistan.

    Moldova is expected to hold the organization's rotating presidency next year and the next CIS summit will be held in Chisinau, capital of Moldova, on Oct. 9, 2009.

CIS leaders fail to approve draft CIS economic development strategy

    BISHKEK, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) failed to approve a draft strategy for CIS economic development for the period to 2020, CIS Executive Committee chief Sergei Lebedev said Friday.

    "A decision has been made to adjust the document and bring it forward for approval at a meeting of CIS prime ministers in Chisinau on Nov. 14," Lebedev said at the CIS summit.

CIS to set up working group to fight world financial crisis

    BISHKEK, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of the CIS member states decided Friday to establish a working group at the level of finance ministers to fight the current global financial turmoil, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said.

    "A working group is set up given the situation in the global economy. I mean the financial crisis, which has effected everyone, and if it has not yet, it will certainly do so," Bakiyev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.