Session of CIS Foreign Ministers' Council opens in Moscow

On Thursday Moscow is hosting a session of the Council of the CIS Foreign Ministers. The agenda of the session includes 24 issues. They can be divided into two parts - the problems of the CIS activity and issues of establishing a legal-contractual base for cooperation.

The CIS Foreign Ministers plan to exchange opinions on the international situation in the context of global challenges and threats. On the proposal of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, the session will discuss a draft Convention on the standards of democratic elections, electoral rights and freedoms in the CIS. According to observers, for the first time in the history of international law regulations the document specifies the status, powers and guarantee of international observers as corresponding with the fulfilment of their duties.

In addition, the participants in the session will consider a draft Programme of CIS members on the fight against illegal trafficking of drugs and psychotropic substances for 2002-2004.

The sides will also consider a number of documents regulating the settlement of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict.

The ministers will consider a number of issues concerning the social sphere of the CIS activity and a convention on legal assistance and legal relations on civil, family and criminal codes. In addition, the ministers will discuss a draft agreement on the protection of participants in criminal processes and a draft Agreement on cooperation between CIS countries in the return homeland of under-age people.