The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was formed in 1991 when Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Armenia secretly met and decided to dissolve the Soviet Union. The CIS Charter established that the member states would be independent and equal subjects under international law. The objectives of the CIS are to ensure international peace, strengthen cooperation among members economically and culturally, and protect human rights. Nine of the fifteen former Soviet republics originally joined the CIS, though some have since withdrawn. The headquarters is located in Minsk, Belarus.

1. The Commonwealth of Independent States
Jérôme Raffi Torossian
Содружество Независимых Государств

3. Formation of the C.I.S
• Created in December 8, 1991
• Secretly meet outside Minsk
at Belovezhskaya Pushcha
• They decided to dissolve the
Soviet Union.
Yeltsin Kravchuk Shushkevich
• Signed the Agreement Establishing the C.I.S
• The USSR no longer existed, and the C.I.S was its successor entity.
• Open to all former USSR republics and other states sharing the
same goals.

5. Article I of the C.I.S Charter
“The Commonwealth is based on the foundations of the equality of all of its
members. The member states are independent and equal subjects of international
law. The Commonwealth serves the further development and strengthening of
relations of friendship, good neighborhood, international harmony, trust, mutual
understanding and mutually beneficial cooperation between member states. The
Commonwealth is not a state and does not hold supranational powers.”
C.I.S objectives
• To ensure and strengthen international peace and security
• Cooperation in the political, economic, humanitarian,
environmental, cultural, and other fields
• To ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms

6. C.I.S Enlargement
• December 21, 1991 – Alma-Ata
Protocol
• 8 former Soviet republics joined it
• Georgia joined 2 years later. Left in 2008
• 9/15 former Soviet Republics are members
• The 3 Baltic States decided not to join it

7. Headquarters
• Looked for a quieter,
calmer, and small city
• Located in Minsk, Belarus

9. Thank You Cпасибо