DUSHANBE, October 9, Asia-Plus -- The CIS summit that was held in the Tajik capital last weekend has come up to all my expectations, Sayfullo Safarov, the deputy director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus. 

“The summit results are significant: the concept of further development of the CIS and the plan of main actions aimed at introduction of it were adopted, which is of no small importance for further development of the Commonwealth,” the deputy director said.   

According to him, adoption of these two documents has shown that the organization has future.

“Many experts have held that the CIS will disintegrate; however, the summit results have proved that it will develop,” Safarov said, pointing to the necessity of changing attitude of heads of state themselves to the CIS.   .

The expert says the CIS has large potential that has not been realized.  “Before the summit, practically no one of the CIS states has paid a proper attention to the Commonwealth’s potential, and the majority of packages of documents have not been implemented,” said Safarov, “Therefore, the Dushanbe summit changed an approach to resolving of problems being common for the CIS; it means that the most topical issues will be discussed now, and decisions will made only on these issues.”   

On the refusal of Georgia and Turkmenistan to sign the concept, Tajik expert said that it will not impact further development of the CIS.  “In democratic society, each side may express its position.  Thus, Georgia lays claims to Russia.  But it will not affect the CIS, because if 70 percent of members of the organization think in the same way and see common interests, the organization will function successfully and be able to resolve complex problems, which the CIS has more than enough,” Safarov said.   

Continuing the subject of vital capacity of the CIS, he noted that settlement of issues related to labor migration would be another evidence of steadiness of the organizations.   

“If the organization manages to resolve all issues related to labor migration, and Russia stops to see migrants as threat to national security and recognizes them as factor of further economic development, all allegations about disintegration of the CIS will be unfounded,” Safarov said.