Mr Medvedev said the CIS remains a universal forum at which the member countries’ leaders can discuss the most important issues – something that is especially valuable in the current time of financial crisis.
An agreement has been reached that the CIS countries will take coordinated decisions in the financial sphere should the need arise. In this context, the CIS finance ministers will hold a meeting very soon in Moscow, the President said.
Prospects for deeper integration were discussed at the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) Interstate Council meeting the same day in Bishkek. On the agenda at the meeting were plans to form a customs union and establish a common economic space.
Mr Medvedev said that effective solutions to global economic problems can be found only if different countries combine their efforts. In this respect, he expressed support for the proposal to call an extraordinary summit of the G8 and other major economies not part of the group to look together for ways out of the global financial crisis.