Participants attending the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) pose for a group photo in Minsk, Belarus, April 12, 2024. Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS was held on Friday in Minsk. According to the official website of CIS, in a narrow format, the heads of foreign affairs agencies exchanged views on current issues on the international agenda and interaction in the Commonwealth format. (Photo by Henadz Zhikov/Xinhua)

MINSK, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was held on Friday in Minsk.

According to the official website of CIS, in a narrow format, the heads of foreign affairs agencies exchanged views on current issues on the international agenda and interaction in the Commonwealth format.

In a broad format, the heads of delegations discussed the issue of establishing a single anniversary medal "80 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

Members of the Council of Foreign Ministers approved an agreed draft convention on the legal status of delegations to CIS member states. The purpose of concluding the Convention is to regulate at the international legal level practical issues of organizing visits of delegations from the Commonwealth countries.

Participants approved the results of multi-level inter-MFA consultations held in 2023 within the CIS and instructed the Commonwealth Executive Committee, together with the foreign ministries of states, to develop and submit in the prescribed manner for consideration by the Council of Foreign Ministers a similar draft Plan for 2025.

Statement on ensuring safe conditions for the professional activities of journalists and preventing infringement of their rights was adopted.The document notes that the right to freedom of opinion, expression and access to open information are the most important components of modern society, guaranteed by fundamental international documents in the field of human rights.

Statement was signed in connection with the 30th anniversary of the CIS being granted observer status at the UN General Assembly. It calls for further deepening of cooperation and coordination of efforts between the CIS and the UN, their executive bodies, specialized UN agencies and specialized structures of the CIS. ■

A press conference is held after the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Minsk, Belarus, April 12, 2024. Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS was held on Friday in Minsk. According to the official website of CIS, in a narrow format, the heads of foreign affairs agencies exchanged views on current issues on the international agenda and interaction in the Commonwealth format. (Photo by Henadz Zhikov/Xinhua)

Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is held in Minsk, Belarus, April 12, 2024. Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the CIS was held on Friday in Minsk. According to the official website of CIS, in a narrow format, the heads of foreign affairs agencies exchanged views on current issues on the international agenda and interaction in the Commonwealth format. (Photo by Henadz Zhikov/Xinhua)