Alexander Lukashenko welcomes Azerbaijan’s 2028 CIS chairmanship

Belarus’s president called Baku’s decision historic and expressed hope that Armenia would take the chair in 2029. He spoke at the CIS summit Oct. 9.

Alexander Lukashenko welcomed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s decision to assume the Commonwealth of Independent States chairmanship for the first time in 2028, RIA Novosti reported, citing BelTA. He described it as a new stage in the organisation’s development.

For Armenia, Lukashenko expressed hope that Yerevan would agree to take the role in 2029 according to the rotation. His remarks did not establish that an Armenian chairmanship had already been agreed.

He also thanked Shavkat Mirziyoyev for Uzbekistan’s agreement to chair the CIS in 2027. Lukashenko said Belarus would support the incoming chairs and remain involved in the organisation’s work.

Azerbaijan and Armenia had previously refrained from assuming the role amid their territorial conflict. At the meeting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described peace between the two countries as an accomplished fact.

The summit took place in Turkmenistan’s Avaza tourist zone. Its agenda concerned the CIS’s 35th anniversary, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, and coordination on foreign policy.