Russia has ended its term as a chair in the Council of Heads of Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and handed over the chair to Tajikistan, Itar-Tass reported.
"The last year was very fruitful. We have done a lot," Sergei Katyrin, the chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said at a 9th session of the Council. "We hope the next meeting will tackle issues of concern for both businessmen and the Chamber, such as electronic document turnover, migration policies, etc."
Chairperson of CIS Chambers of Commerce and Industry reported about top-priority areas of the activity of their organizations. Special attention was paid to the problem of the issuance of certificates of origin and vesting such authorities in state bodies. If made, such a step may give a breeding ground for corruption in the area of external trade.
Participants in the meeting also discussed closer cooperation between national chambers of the CIS countries with regional mass media, exhibitions, and other issues.
Russia handed over the chair in the Council to Tajikistan. The next meeting of the Council will be held in October 2012 in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe.
The Council of Heads of Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the Commonwealth of Independent States was set up in 2002 in Moscow. Its basic goal is to support legal entrepreneurship in the CIS countries. The Council embraces Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine.