ABSTRACT
The Council meets at least once a year. An extraordinary meeting may be convened on the initiative of the majority of Commonwealth heads of state. The chairmanship of the Council is normally rotated among member states. The Concept cited the ‘long-term formation of an integrated economic and political association’ as a major objective of the Commonwealth, and determined that the multi-sector nature of the organization should be retained. In April 2018, meeting in Minsk, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) ministers responsible for foreign affairs determined to start updating the Concept, in particular with regard to economic co-operation—taking into account modern areas of interaction, such as electronic commerce and the digital economy—and the strengthening of scientific, technical and innovation activities. The CIS has developed working relations with several inter-governmental organizations, including the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization and the EU.
