On 10 October 2025, a regular meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State was held in Dushanbe under the chairmanship of President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.
The summit was attended by:
• Azerbaijan – President Ilham Aliyev
• Armenia – Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
• Belarus – President Alexander Lukashenko
• Kazakhstan – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
• Kyrgyzstan – President Sadyr Japarov
• Russia – President Vladimir Putin
• Turkmenistan – President Serdar Berdimuhamedov
• Uzbekistan – President Shavkat Mirziyoyev
• Secretary General of the CIS Sergey Lebedev.
One of the major outcomes of the summit was the establishment of a new format of cooperation, the ‘Commonwealth of Independent States Plus’ (CIS+). This mechanism is designed to expand the CIS’s reach to external states and international organizations. The first step in its implementation was granting SCO observer status with the CIS.
In addition, the leaders agreed to transfer the CIS Presidency for 2026 to Turkmenistan, setting the future agenda and priorities for the Commonwealth.
During the meeting, the heads of state approved a package of important documents in the field of security. They regulate cooperation in the field of countering terrorism and extremism, border security, military cooperation, and energy security.
CIS+ launched
The summit resulted in the establishment of the “Commonwealth of Independent States Plus” (CIS+) format, initiated by Kazakhstan.
The CIS+ format will serve as a platform for cooperation between CIS member states and other countries, associations, and international organizations interested in collaborating with the Commonwealth on shared interests.
This format aims to foster sustainable political dialogue and strengthen economic, cultural, humanitarian, and other ties.
The decision outlines the process for inviting interested parties and determining their participation in CIS events. The CIS chair country, in coordination with the CIS Executive Committee and without objections from CIS members, will invite interested states, associations, and international organizations to open CIS supreme body events and meetings, while also agreeing on their participation format.
Turkmenistan – CIS Chairman in 2026
In a narrow format, the heads of state decided on the CIS presidency in 2026, which will be transferred to Turkmenistan.