Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization formed in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It consists of former Soviet republics that have signed the CIS Charter.

History

The CIS was established on December 8, 1991, by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, who signed the Agreement Establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States (known as the Belavezha Accords). On December 21, 1991, the Alma-Ata Protocol was signed by 11 former Soviet republics, which formally established the CIS and declared that the Soviet Union had ceased to exist.

Member States

As of 2023, the CIS consists of nine full member states:

• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Moldova
• Russia
• Tajikistan
• Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan is an associate member of the CIS, while Ukraine and Georgia have formally withdrawn their memberships. Ukraine, despite being one of the founding members, did not ratify the CIS Charter and officially left the organization in 2018. Georgia withdrew from the CIS in 2009 following the Russo-Georgian War of 2008.

Objectives and Cooperation

The main objectives of the CIS are to promote cooperation in various fields, including economic, political, cultural, and security matters among its member states. The organization aims to foster economic integration, ensure human rights, and maintain peace and stability in the region.

Cooperation within the CIS is carried out through various bodies and institutions, such as:

• Council of Heads of State
• Council of Heads of Government
• Inter-Parliamentary Assembly
• Economic Court
• Council of Foreign Ministers
• Council of Defense Ministers

Economic Cooperation

One of the primary goals of the CIS is to promote economic cooperation and integration among its member states. In 1993, the CIS countries signed the Treaty on the Creation of an Economic Union, which aimed to create a common economic space with free movement of goods, services, capital, and labor.

In 2000, several CIS countries (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) established the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) to further strengthen economic ties. In 2015, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) was formed, which includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia as member states.

Security Cooperation

The CIS also serves as a platform for security cooperation among its member states. In 1992, the Collective Security Treaty was signed by several CIS countries, which later evolved into the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in 2002. The CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance that aims to strengthen peace, international and regional security, and stability, and to protect the independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of its member states.

Challenges and Criticisms

Despite its objectives, the CIS has faced several challenges and criticisms since its formation. Some of the main issues include:

• Varying levels of commitment and participation from member states
• Conflicts and tensions among member states, such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
• Concerns over human rights and democratic practices in some member states
• Limited effectiveness in fostering deep economic integration and cooperation
• Competition with other regional organizations, such as the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)