CIS heads of government agree to allocate funds for joint air defense system

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The heads of government from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on Thursday agreed to allocate funds for the establishment of a joint air defense system that will begin next year.

The decision was made during a meeting of the CIS Heads of Government Council in Moscow, a Russian government statement said, adding that a total of 18 documents, including agreements and memorandums, were signed by those who attended the meeting.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin chaired the CIS Heads of Government Council.

The meeting was attended by the premiers of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as Armenia’s deputy premier and Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Belarus.

The document also calls for ensuring the work of a Coordinating Committee on Air Defense to be overseen by the CIS Council of Defense Ministers.

The CIS is a regional organization formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 by its former members to promote cooperation in economic, political, and security affairs.

It has nine members—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—and Turkmenistan, which is an associate member. Moldova suspended its participation in CIS meetings in 2022.​​​​​​​