KAZAN, August 26 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin said it was in the interests of all CIS countries to preserve and improve the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Speaking at the CIS summit in Kazan, Putin said that since the CIS is already 15 years old, "its current goals have come to rely on outdated forms and methods - something nearly all the colleagues have repeatedly mentioned."
The president said it was one thing to prevent chaos and deterioration following the breakup of the U.S.S.R., but working towards integration in line with modern international trends was another matter.
Putin also said reforming the CIS would not adversely affect areas where real progress had already been achieved.
