Committee for Relations with CIS Countries

Objectives of the Committee

The primary goal of the Committee is to create favorable conditions for the Russian economy and strengthen Russia’s influence in the CIS region through economic instruments.

Key Tasks of the Committee for CIS Countries:

1. Legislative and Regulatory Tasks

2. Trade and Economic Tasks:

• Removing Barriers: Identifying and eliminating obstacles to mutual trade (tariff and non-tariff restrictions, quotas, discriminatory measures).
• Promoting Non-Commodity Exports: Creating support mechanisms for Russian companies exporting high value-added products to CIS countries.
• Developing Cooperation: Facilitating the creation of joint productions and technological chains between Russian and CIS companies.

3. Integration and Institutional Tasks:

• Deepening Integration in the EAEU: Implementing measures to establish the “four freedoms” (movement of goods, services, capital, and labor) and creating common markets (e.g., electricity, gas).
• Coordination with Supranational Bodies: Engaging with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and other EAEU structures.
• Creating Shared Infrastructure: Promoting projects in transport, logistics, digitalization, and energy sectors.

4. Analytical and Supervisory Tasks:

• Monitoring Effectiveness: Continuously analyzing the state and prospects of economic cooperation, identifying “bottlenecks.”
• Organizing Roundtables: Conducting discussions with experts, businesses, and government representatives on key issues.
• Oversight of Implementation: Supervising the enforcement of laws and international agreements in the field of CIS cooperation.

5. Business Climate Development and Support Tasks:

• Protecting Investor Rights: Developing mechanisms to safeguard Russian investments in CIS countries and foreign investments in Russia.
• Simplifying Procedures: Promoting digitalization of customs and other types of border control.
• Supporting Payments in National Currencies: Encouraging a move away from USD and EUR in transactions between CIS countries to reduce currency risks and dependence on Western financial systems.

Special Focus: Particular attention is given to the current geopolitical situation (post-2022).

The Committee’s Current Tasks Have Been Adjusted to New Realities:

• Countering Sanctions: Rapid reconfiguration of logistics and financial flows through CIS countries, which have become key “gateways” to the outside world.
• Import Substitution 2.0: Organizing the supply of essential components, goods, and equipment to Russia via CIS partners and establishing new cooperation chains.
• Maintaining Strategic Partners: Active efforts to prevent the cooling of relations and the shift of CIS countries toward other geopolitical blocs (e.g., Chinese or Turkish). This includes economic “incentives” and concessions.

The Committee’s tasks regarding CIS countries and Russia are comprehensive and pragmatic. They aim to transform the CIS and EAEU space into a unified, predictable, and mutually beneficial economic zone that serves the interests of the Russian economy and strengthens Russia’s political influence in the region. In the current context, these tasks are critically important for the country’s economic security.