The Commonwealth of Independent States
By L. Chernorutskaya and M. Nikolaeva
On 21 October 1994 in Moscow, the Council of Heads of States decided to create the Interstate Economic Committee of Economic Union, which has been given the authority and power to make obligatory decisions about certain preconcerted problems; to guide the formation and all the work of the Economic Union; to elaborate joint projects for the development of industry, agriculture, and other spheres of the economy; to control the fulfilment of the obligations by the states, and to implement restructuring of the economic system.
Foreign Policy
The basic documents of the CIS reflect the task of developing cooperation between the states in the field of foreign
policy. The prime representatives of these are the Foundation Treaty of the CIS and the Alma Ata Declaration, which
provide the legal basis for the interaction between the member states in the sphere of external policy through
coordinating bodies. Further development of these cooperation principles is reflected in the CIS Charter, adopted on
22 January 1993, which stresses that coordination of external policy is the mutual task of member states. The Charter
underlines the fact that the member states pursue concerted policy in international security, disarmament and arms
control, the building up of the armed services and the provision of internal security in the CIS, by all possible means,
including the use of groups of military observers and collective peace forces. Following the decisions of the Council
of Heads of States and the Council of Heads of the Governments, the council of foreign ministers is then responsible
for directly coordinating the external policy of the member states, including their cooperation with international
institutes, and organizes consultations on world policy problems of mutual interest.
CIS members realize that the international obligations devolving on CIS members require a common economic,
military, strategic, and legal approach to the practical task of harmonization and the implementation of their foreign
policies today and in future. The fruit of the coordinated efforts of the CIS members was shown in a UN resolution
passed on 24 March 1994 which grants the CIS the status of observer in the UN General Assembly. This status
allows the CIS to establish itself in the world community as an international regional organization. Russia is
endeavouring to profile the role of the CIS in the world, so as to consolidate its position in the OSCE. The policy
of the CIS is to be represented in the OSCE as an interstate organization, for which an appropriate application has
already been sent to the OSCE. Likewise, within a framework of forming European policy contacts between the CIS
and the European Community are being established as one of the key aspects of international activities. By means
of bilateral and multilateral negotiations carried out by the ministries of foreign affairs of the CIS members, new
approaches for establishing and developing partnerships between the CIS and the EU are being investigated. Practical
steps have been taken towards promoting of ties between the CIS and UNESCO, the 'Rio Group', the Organization
of American States, and ASEAN.
Collective Security Treaty
In order to provide security within the territory of the CIS, to prevent or settle internal conflicts, the concept of
collective peaceful undertakings must be realized, with due consideration given to the fact that the main emphasis
should fall on peaceful political and legal methods for the resolving of possible contradictions. Much will depend
on how fast a process of institualization in this sphere can be completed, ensuring that the united peace forces of the
CIS will be able to react quickly and effectively in potential conflicts, while strictly observing international legal
norms when military power is implemented.
Interaction with foreign countries and international bodies during the settlement of conflicts in the CIS must be
carried out taking into account the vital mutual interests of Russia and all the other states of the CIS in such spheres
as economy, defence, security, and the human rights of Russian population in the region.
The legal basis of this system is a Collective Security Treaty (CST) signed on the initiative of Russia by the heads
of six states in Tashkent on 15 May 1992 (Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan). Later
on Azerbaijan, Byelorussia, and Georgia joined this Treaty. In April 1994 the Treaty was ratified by all these
countries and came into effect. On 10 February 1995 in Alma Ata the heads of the states, who had appended their
signatures to the CST (except Azerbaijan), signed a concept of collective security, general trends for strengthening
military cooperation, and a declaration of the constituent states of the CST which will permit them to solve the
problems of collective security on a practical basis. Three and a half months later, in Minsk, on 26 May 1995
participants in the CST (except Azerbaijan) signed a plan of implementation of the concept of collective security and
general trends in military cooperation in which concrete measures for providing collective security were
defined.
The concept of collective security is a totality of views of the constituent countries about preventing wars and
eradicating the threat of war, joint defence against aggression, protection of their independence and territorial
integrity. It reflects the common interests as well as the military and political aims of the constituent states,
demonstrating their intention to provide for their security by means of a collective security system. The system of
collective security will be created step by step on the basis of consensus keeping a weather eye on the political
situation in the world.
Economic Union
Russia is paying close attention to the consolidation of the integration process and the developing close and mutually
beneficial relation with the CIS countries. On 14 September 1995 the president of Russia, B.N.Yeltsin, signed a
decree confirming a document called "Russia's Strategic Line with the CIS Countries". This document defines the
tasks of the institutions of the Russian Federation at all levels assigned to promote close ties actively with the
Commonwealth states and the strengthening of the CIS.
Russia believes that the basis for the integration and functioning of the CIS is broad economic cooperation which
will gradually lead to the creation of a common market as well as payment and currency unions. This task is to be
implemented through the mechanism of an economic union.
Highly significant was the agreement about the creation of an interstate economic committee (IEC) of economic
union signed in October 1994. The IEC is the first body in the CIS authorized to take compulsory decisions
concerning defined issues. The time is now ripe to intensify economic activities in the CIS as those will certainly
be beneficial for the whole process of integration in the Commonwealth.
Another very positive step was taken in the economic sphere: the formation of customs union of Russia, Byelorussia,
and Kazakhstan is under way. Russia and Byelorussia have full-scale free trade. They have abolished customs on the
border. Agreements with Kazakhstan have also been successfully implemented. This triple alliance in many ways
determines the vectors of the further integration of the CIS.
The alliance is open to other countries that are ready to accept the terms of the membership. The leaders of
Kirghizia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have declared their willingness to join the customs union.
The plan is that the customs union is not the simple abolition of trade barriers but is primarily a coordination for
the carrying out of reforms, the unification of the economic mechanism, and implementing the agreed external
economic policy regarding other foreign countries. Unification of the legislative systems, trade and customs
regulations, joining up of the customs territories into one customs area still remain to be accomplished. Within the
Commonwealth there is also the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of CIS Countries (except Ukraine). In May 1995
heads of the states signed a convention on an inter-parliamentary assembly of the CIS member states.
Human Rights
Russia has cautiones that all CIS countries should respect international standards with regard to minorities and human
rights. On 21 October 1994 a convention on minorities' rights was signed by 9 states -- Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Byelorussia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Moldavia, Russia, Tajikistan. This event was of special significance
for the CIS, in view of the complicated situation with regard to human rights in several of the countries of the
Commonwealth.
On 26 May 1995 in Minsk at the meeting of the council of heads of the states, the CIS convention on human rights
and basic liberties was signed which was the fruit of much political and diplomatic work of Russia with her partners.
It was signed by 7 states: Armenia, Byelorussia, Georgia, Kirghizia, Moldavia, Russia, Tajikistan. It is open to be
signed by the remaining states of the CIS and Russia will do her best to persuade them to join the convention.
In January 1996 the meeting of the council of heads of the states took place. The most important outcome of this
meeting was an agreement on the consolidation of customs and payment unions and a concept for preventing armed
conflicts and the proliferation of terrorism in the CIS. A decision was taken about establishing a council of ministers
of internal affairs of the CIS countries.
President Yeltsin, who was chairman of the meeting, said that the main result was the fact that all the CIS members
had demonstrated a tendency towards voluntary integration. Despite such efforts towards economic integration, the
preservation of the sovereignty and independence of all the CIS states, including those in Central Asia, is beyond
all doubt.
Dr Lyubov I. Chernorutskaya is the Head of the Information Department of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.