Meeting at the Headquarters of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States

Shortly before the elections to the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on 16 November 2019, heads of the SCO and CIS Observer Missions met at the Headquarters of the CIS Executive Committee in Minsk.

SCO Deputy Secretary-General Xie Xiaoyong and Chair of the Executive Committee, Executive Secretary of the CIS Sergei Lebedev reaffirmed the upcoming parliamentary election's political importance and social significance for the further development of Belarus, and shared their plans for monitoring the preparation and conduct of the election.

"Elections are important processes in a democratic state and determine the vector of the country's further political and socioeconomic development. The SCO Observer Mission is guided by the principles of objectivity and impartiality in accordance with the national legislation of the host country and the international practice for monitoring elections," Xie Xiaoyong said.

The parties also exchanged views on key topics of the regional and global policies of the SCO and the CIS, and discussed further cooperation between the two organisations under the Memorandum of Understanding between the SCO Secretariat and the CIS Executive Committee signed in 2005. The CIS Executive Secretary noted the practical component of cooperation and underscored the importance of holding joint events, including the 75th WWII victory anniversary celebrations in 2020.

The meeting was held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere.