An informal meeting of the Heads of the CIS member states was held in St. Petersburg

The working visit of President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko to Russia continued with an informal meeting of the heads of the CIS member states. The leaders of the Commonwealth countries met at the Hermitage, one of the largest museums in the world, which preserves more than 3 mln cultural monuments from different countries and peoples. It contains paintings and graphics, sculptures, coins and medals, and archaeological materials. The monuments of the Hermitage collection are represented in more than 500 halls with a total area of about 100.000 sq. m. During the meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the Commonwealth has already established itself as an authoritative regional association in which the participating countries build relations based on the principles of genuine good-neighborliness and equal partnership. Close operational contacts have been established between the law enforcement agencies and the competent authorities of the CIS. The topic of preventing the falsification of history was also raised.