CIS countries enhance collaboration with associations of Western hemisphere

Foreign ministerial consultations on collaboration between CIS countries and regional associations of the Western hemisphere will be held on Thursday, October 23, in Moscow.

"At the present time, we are studying the integration experience in Latin America," said head of the political and humanitarian cooperation department of the CIS executive committee Rudolf Alekseyev.

In particular, participants in the consultations will discuss cooperation between the CIS countries and the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), the Amerigos Organisation (OAG) and the Group RIO political association.

The expert also pointed out that the CIS countries had signed a cooperation agreement and a plan of collaboration with the LAIA member states. The latter stipulates information exchanges.

"In principle, the CIS countries collaborate not only with Latin America but also with the OSCE and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organisation, and contacts are being established with UNESCO," Alekseyev emphasised.

According to him, when collaborating with regional associations and groups, the CIS countries are ready to borrow their positive experience. "A number of new challenges and threats are of a global nature, that is why contacts are very useful for us," Alexeyev stressed.