Hard alloy: CIS premiers agree on cooperation in heavy engineering

The CIS countries should join the Agreement on the Unified Customs Transit System of the EAEU, as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin called for at a meeting of the heads of government of the Commonwealth countries. According to him, this will allow businesses to reduce transportation costs. He also stressed that the CIS market remains a key one for Russia. As a result of the meeting held on June 5, more than ten documents were signed, including an agreement on cooperation in the development of heavy machinery industries. Experts believe that it will contribute to improving cooperation not only in the economic, but also in the military sphere. The results of Mikhail Mishustin's visit to Tajikistan can be found in the Izvestia article.

What CIS heads of government discussed in Dushanbe

On June 5, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin attended a meeting of the CIS heads of government in Dushanbe. Since the beginning of the year, Tajikistan has been acting as the Chairman of the Commonwealth. The CIS continues to play an important role in Russia's foreign trade, the Russian Prime minister said. According to the results of last year, the share of CIS countries in the trade turnover of the Russian Federation exceeded 15.5%, which is more than a year earlier.

Opening the meeting, Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kohir Rasulzoda thanked the Russian Federation for its effective chairmanship in 2024. Mikhail Mishustin called on CIS members to join the agreement on a unified customs transit system, which will allow businesses to reduce transportation costs across the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Following the meeting, the parties adopted more than a dozen decisions. For example, a concept for the development of cooperation in the field of light industry was approved, documents were signed on the harmonization of national air traffic management systems and cooperation in the field of public health protection.

—The CIS countries are showing great interest in the Russian healthcare system, which is showing very good dynamics and improving the quality of care," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk told reporters.

The Council also decided to establish the CIS badge "For the Development of Tourism in the Commonwealth of Independent States." Cooperation in the field of tourism is actively developing now, with many routes passing through the CIS countries. At the end of May, a meeting of the CIS Tourism Council was held, at which it was decided to declare the year of mountain tourism in the Commonwealth countries.

The proposal to make each year a thematic one was made by the Minister of Economic Development of Russia Maxim Reshetnikov. He noted that each of the CIS countries has adopted state programs to support tourism, and ski resorts are being built. Currently, the Eurasian Alliance of Mountain Resorts operates in the CIS, which appeared as an initiative of the business community.

— The Alliance grew out of the cooperation of the CIS countries. We are proud of this and we continue to work," Alexey Sazonov, director of the Department for Cooperation in the Political, Humanitarian and Social Spheres of the CIS Executive Committee, told Izvestia.

A significant outcome of the meeting in Dushanbe was the signing of an agreement on cooperation between the CIS member states in the development of heavy machinery industries. Alexey Overchuk explained that no specific projects were discussed at the meeting. Nevertheless, the document defines a framework that will significantly improve the opportunities for the development of cooperative ties between heavy machinery and metallurgy.

"This is very important from the point of view of strengthening our macro—region in Northern Eurasia," said the Russian Deputy Prime Minister.

The main areas of joint activity include innovative development and modernization of heavy machinery technologies and equipment. In addition, the agreement provides for the development of machine-building industries in the CIS countries engaged in the development and production of machinery, machinery and equipment for the metallurgical, mining, energy, oil and gas and chemical industries.

Andrey Suzdaltsev, a political scientist at the Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia that the Commonwealth countries could jointly produce, in particular, road, construction machinery, and mining bulldozers.

However, it is possible that the CIS members will be able to deepen military-technical cooperation in the future, said Vadim Koroshchupov, a military expert and a junior researcher at IMEMO RAS.

— I think they will develop the industry of ammunition and special chemicals, air defense/ missile defense systems, modernize old equipment to meet modern realities and try to purchase foreign samples. By the way, Kazakhstan bought the European military transport aircraft A400M from the Spaniards. Perhaps they will try to localize foreign samples," he told Izvestia.

However, the expert emphasizes that due to fears of Western sanctions, such cooperation is likely to be non-public.

Why are relations with the CIS countries important for Russia

The CIS, which emerged in the early 1990s, is becoming more significant for the Russian Federation under the pressure of Western sanctions. Today, the volume of economic cooperation between the countries of the Commonwealth is increasing. Thus, in 2024, the GDP of the CIS countries grew by 4.4%, which is much more than, for example, in European countries.

The Commonwealth countries are now actively increasing the volume of trade among themselves. And almost 90% of payments are made in national currencies.

— This makes it much easier for us to conduct mutual trade, since it is now very difficult to calculate in dollars. But we have found a very reasonable solution," CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev said earlier.

According to him, mutual trade between the EAEU countries is developing most actively.

— But the rest of the CIS countries, which are not members of the EAEU, have also increased the volume of mutual trade. There is an increase in industrial production, an increase in mutual investments," Sergei Lebedev emphasized.

Belarus, for example, is now actively investing in the economy of Kazakhstan, creating enterprises for the assembly of agricultural products there. Russia is setting up some car assembly plants in the CIS countries. Uzbekistan is actively developing the automotive industry.

The state of Russian-Tajik relations

Mikhail Mishustin's visit to Tajikistan began on June 4. On this day, the Russian Prime Minister met with President of the Republic Emomali Rahmon.

He stated that from January to April 2025, the mutual trade turnover increased by 7% compared to the previous period. Mikhail Mishustin noted that the Russian Federation and Tajikistan can increase mutual supplies and projects in the fields of mechanical engineering, agriculture, mining, and energy. In addition, according to him, more than 80 regions of the Russian Federation strengthen direct business contacts with Tajikistan.

The Russian Prime Minister stressed that Russia and Tajikistan are creating favorable conditions for attracting mutual investments and launching new joint projects. The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation emphasized that the republic is a strategic partner and ally of Russia in Central Asia.

"Our relations are based on historical friendship and mutual respect between the fraternal peoples of Russia and Tajikistan," he said, noting that the Russian Federation highly appreciates Emomali Rahmon's participation in the celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

There are five Russian secondary schools in Tajikistan. In the 2024/2025 academic year, a group of 99 Russian teachers is working in schools in the republic at the request of the Tajik side. There are branches of Russian universities in Tajikistan: Lomonosov Moscow State University, NUST MISIS and NRU MEI.

The renovated Russian Center for Science and Culture in Dushanbe was opened on June 4. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk took part in it.

Tajikistan is a member of the CSTO and serves as a very important partner of the Russian Federation in terms of security, Stanislav Pritchin, head of the Central Asia Sector at the IMEMO RAS, told Izvestia.

— Economically, Tajikistan closely cooperates with the Russian Federation within the framework of the CIS free trade area on a bilateral basis. Russia is one of the most important trading partners in Tajikistan and one of the main investors," he explained.