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Yeltsin admits Moscow has impeded former Soviet republics
October 23, 1997
Web posted at: 11:50 a.m. EDT (1550 GMT)CHISINAU, Moldova (CNN) -- Russian President Boris Yeltsin denied Thursday that the Commonwealth of Independent States was on its deathbed, but admitted that Moscow was largely to blame for the group's ineffectiveness and for conflicts among former Soviet republics who are members.
He urged that the 12-member CIS alliance -- created when the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991 -- be reorganized.
"Each (state) noted its own role. But Russia as (CIS) chairman is to blame for the fact that the CIS has worked irrationally and ineffectively," Yeltsin told a news conference in Moldova's capital of Chisinau.
Presidents from every CIS member nation except Turkmenistan's Saparmurat Niyazov, who is recovering from heart surgery, met in Moldova's Palace of the Republic for the summit.
Speaking frankly after a closed-door meeting of CIS leaders, Yeltsin said they blamed Moscow for failing to implement decisions from previous CIS summits.
"These criticisms are justified," Yeltsin said. "Nobody is calling the existence of the CIS into doubt, but it must reform its way of working. The most important thing is to carry out the decisions of previous summits."
Yeltsin said the leaders agreed to put their criticisms in a document that will be discussed at a CIS session January 23.
Also on the summit agenda were proposals aimed at boosting trade, including a common agricultural market, and steps against illegal migration and crime. As part of proposed economic reform, members want to ease the flow of goods within the vast territory of the former Soviet Union.
The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the only former Soviet republics that are not CIS members.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Leaders of former Soviet republics gather for summit - October 22, 1997
- Communists drop planned Yeltsin no-confidence vote - October 21, 1997
- Yeltsin gets boost from CIS leaders, new poll - May 17, 1996
Related sites:
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- Program in Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies - U.C. Berkeley
- Rule of Law
- Russian Government Internet Network
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