The next meeting of Prime Ministers of CIS countries

The Council of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of the Independent States (CIS) countries will hold its next meeting on September 15, 2004 in Kazakhstan's capital Astana. This decision was taken by the Council of CIS Leaders at the meeting, which is under way in Cholpon Ata, Kyrghyzstan. The September 15 meeting will precede a regular meeting of the Council of CIS Leaders. They also adopted a decision to transfer chairmanship in the Council of Prime Ministers from Kyrghyzstan to Moldova and its Premier Vasile Tarlev. Nikolai Tanayev and Mikhail Fradkov, respective Prime Ministers of Kyrghyzstan and Russia, were appointed co-chairmen of the Council. The CIS Executive Committee reported earlier that the leaders were expected to discuss a draft agreement on the international truck weighing certificate, look into the CIS member nations' financial obligations for 2002 on the effort to deploy a CIS anti-aircraft defense system, and measures to repay fee arrears. Moreover, the conferees will consider creating a reserve fund to aid CIS nations suffering natural or man caused calamities. Besides, they will discuss candidature for the position of deputy head of the CIA Anti-terrorist Center.