International initiatives: 2014 is declared Year of Tourism, and 2015 - Year of the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War Veterans in the CIS

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin took part in a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States Council of Heads of State in Minsk.

The meeting’s main areas of focus were expanding trade and economic cooperation, law enforcement cooperation, and developing cultural and humanitarian ties.

Vladimir Putin said: “The practice of ‘theme years’ has proved useful as part of the CIS’ work. This year was devoted to environmental protection. Next year is to be the Year of Tourism. One of the priorities will be to draft a strategy for developing tourism sector cooperation through to 2020. The CIS countries have a unique diversity of cultural, historical and natural sights. We need to make them more accessible, develop regional transport infrastructure, and invest in developing facilities together. We think that the interstate programme, Cultural Capitals of the Commonwealth, will also help to promote tourism development. We support the idea to declare Almaty and Osh the CIS cultural capitals in 2014”.

So he noted importance of joint preparations for celebrating the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. “We have a common duty to the generation of victors to celebrate this anniversary in fitting fashion. We are taking the first steps today by approving the decision to declare 2015 the Year of Great Patriotic War Veterans in the CIS”, - said Vladimir Putin.