Improving efficiency of CIS bodies will be central at CIS conference in Chisinau

Raising the efficiency of the bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and optimization of their structure will be the central subject discussed at a conference of the CIS countries in Chisinau on October 6-7, said official Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko in a RIA Novosti interview on the eve of the forum.

The Russian side believes that "optimization will also lead to a reduction of the staff in the CIS bodies." "Russia's approach in favour of imparting an evolutionary character to the process of the improvement of the structure of CIS bodies and bringing it in line with the priorities and the real content of the multi-lateral cooperation is supported by the absolute majority of member-states," said the diplomat.

At the same time, he noted, special attention is given to such cardinal trends of activity as anti-terrorism struggle, drug business and crime.

According to Yakovenko, steps are to be taken to raise the efficiency of decisions taken within the CIS framework. Thus, a specified stricter control is being provided by the Council of the heads of government, the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Economic Council over the fulfilment of the achieved accords, while the powers of the Council of permanent representatives of the member-states under the CIS agencies are to be expanded.