MOSCOW, March 21 (RIA Novosti) - The Commonwealth of Independent States, created in 1991, has failed to become either a political association or an effective organization, Russia's foreign minister said Wednesday.
Sergei Lavrov said this was due to some member countries refusing to accept "supranational principles," in particular, Ukraine and Turkmenistan failed to sign the CIS Charter, with Turkmenistan only assuming associated membership.
But he said the CIS has helped solve some challenging problems caused by the breakup of the Soviet Union.
"Today, the CIS is a convenient platform for dialogue," he said, adding it is a key to stability and security in Eurasia.
Lavrov said Russia is building transparent relations in the CIS area, based on economic pragmatism, and will not yield to any provocations, adding trade and economic cooperation with Russia is crucial for the countries' sustained development.
He said the CIS member countries share a "unique experience of coexistence and cooperation within a single state."
"It is our common asset, and it would be unreasonable to abandon it," he said.
