Yalta impulse for development (photo story)

A meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of Government took place in Yalta on November 20. The Yalta gathering of prime ministers provided an added impulse for battling the negative effect of the crisis in the CIS countries.

The heads of government discussed development issues, in particular, a concept for cooperation in the energy sector, a plan for joint measures to overcome the negative effects of the global financial crisis for the years 2009-2010, trade, economic and military cooperation between the countries, innovation and migration policy.

During the meeting a number of documents were signed regarding the functioning, financing, strengthening and development of the CIS, including a Concept for cooperation in the energy sector, Agreement on cooperation in the use of interstate electricity lines, and Agreement on development of transport corridors.

Contracts and agreements were also signed on long-term cooperation in the innovation sector and principles of migration policy. The heads of government approved a joint program for battling HIV/AIDS, a unified budget for the CIS bodies for 2010, appropriations and creating and developing a joint air defense system.

Delegations from 11 countries attended the summit. It was chaired by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Guests included Prime Minister Vlad Filat (Moldova), Prime Minister Akil Akilov (Tajikistan), Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky (Belarus), Prime Minister Karim Masimov (Kazakhstan), Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov (Kyrgyzstan), Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan (Armenia), First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov (Azerbaijan), Deputy Head of Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the CIS Ostonqul Mirzaev, and Chairman of the Executive Committee - Executive Secretary of the CIS Sergey Lebedev.