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The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) still has significance as a discussion platform for presidents, but its functions are gradually being transferred to other integration structures in the post-Soviet territory, according to Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Committee on CIS, Eurasian Integration and Links with Compatriots.

“The CIS is leaving silently. The Moor has done his duty, but has not yet gone, and CIS remains a kind of discussion platform for presidents. Some secretariats of the CIS Executive Committee may be abolished in the coming years, as was proposed by Nazarbayev. Today the functions of CIS are gradually being transferred to some other (editor: integration structures),” Slutsky said Monday during ‘Pozner’ program on First Channel of Russia.

When speaking about Armenian-Russian relations, Slutsky said: “Armenia needs Russia not because of the conflict, not only because of the conflict with Azerbaijan”. In his words, the two countries are bound by centuries-old close cultural and other ties.
He added that Armenia, like other countries, needs the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) mostly because of economy.