International   

Post-Soviet Union bloc heading for upheaval

Vladimir Radyuhin

Turkmenistan pulls out of Commonwealth of Independent States

MOSCOW: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the grouping of 12 former Soviet states, has entered a period of upheavals, with one member leaving the bloc, and three other finalising an important trade pact.

Turkmenistan on Friday became the first CIS member-state to pull out of the organisation. Vice Premier Aganiyaz Akyev, who represented Turkmenistan at a CIS summit in Kazan, Russia, announced the decision of President Saparmurat to downgrade Turkmenistan's involvement in CIS from full to associate membership. The despotic Turkmen leader had long threatened to quit the post-Soviet alliance because of frequent criticism from other leaders of his record on human rights.

Little consequence

Analysts said Turkmenistan's withdrawal would have little consequence for the group as it is not a party to most CIS agreements anyway.

In another major development Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have finalised a package of trade accords that will create a new closely-knit Common Economic Space union within the CIS. This may eventually lead to the break-up of the alliance.

Ukraine, which was ready to sign free trade agreements to continue getting cheap Russian oil and gas, but refused to join a customs union, was left out in the cold as the other members declined to split the agreed package.

A senior Kremlin official said earlier this week that Russia was planning a radical change of its policy towards the ex-Soviet states under which it does not receive economic nor political benefits for selling oil and gas at a discount.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Restraint on Pakistan poll result
Post-Soviet Union bloc heading for upheaval
Altering biometric images enhances security
Sunnis defiant on Iraq charter
China focus on Tibet
Ends hunger strike
U.S. soldier killed in blast
Israeli ire over Hamas tape
World confronts Bush over U.N. revamp
We are trying to change the mindset of workers, says Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
Blair's India visit to boost academic links
Belgian sentenced for murdering Indian
Russia proposes trination exercises

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu