St. Petersburg-Sana
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the volume of trade exchange between the CIS countries will reach $100 billion by the end of this year, amid expectations of an increase.
Putin said at the outset of the Commonwealth of Independent States summit in St. Petersburg: “The multifaceted interaction is developing successfully between our countries in general, which is confirmed by the steady growth in trade between us. Between January and October, cooperation increased by 6.6 percent to reach to $81.5 billion, and there is reason to expect that by the end of this year it will reach $100 billion.”
Putin stressed that the CIS countries will make every effort to resolve the differences between them, and will discuss today their future plans and prospects for cooperation between their countries, noting that deepening interaction and cooperation within the CIS framework embodies the basic interests of their countries, improves security and helps strengthen regional security.
Putin noted that the CIS countries have begun to move to the use of national currencies in trade exchanges during the current year.
For his part, the President of Kazakhstan, Kasim Jomart Tokayev, in his capacity as the current president of the Association, considered that the past year “was a difficult year for the international community,” noting that the Association had taken several measures to enhance its potential and the potential for economic and trade cooperation between its countries.
Tokayev urged more work to reduce customs tariffs between the CIS countries and to continue cooperation between their countries in the field of security and combating terrorism during the next year, pointing to an increase in the rate of trade exchange between the CIS members.
Tokayev noted the corridor project linking the north and south of Russia through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Iran, which Russia is behind his initiative.
It is noteworthy that the meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States is being held periodically at the end of each year.
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