Foreign policy is an indicator of the political will of each state, including the Republic of Azerbaijan, confidently following the path of independence, as well as the determination and strengthening of its positions in the system of international relations, the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic, political and humanitarian spheres, meeting the national security interests, involves the elimination of regional and international problems with joint efforts.
   
At present, our state is a full member of several prestigious international organizations of the world. One of these organizations is the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization aimed at ensuring equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between member states.

Azerbaijan has faced many difficulties since gaining independence as a newly established young state. In such a difficult situation, our republic, along with the development of the legal system, attached special importance to foreign policy relations, as well as relations with international and regional organizations and its international reputation among other states of the world.

On the way to independence, Azerbaijan was repeatedly subjected to unjustified territorial claims and invasive attacks by Armenia. As a result of these attacks, 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan territory was occupied, 1 million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs, and thousands of citizens became shahids (martyrs). Exactly this reason impelled Azerbaijan to establish multifaceted and effective relations both to strengthen its independence and to achieve a just solution to the problem of the occupation of its territories by Armenia in the first half of the 1990s. It is no coincidence that in this regard, relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States became one of the main directions of Azerbaijan's foreign policy.

The Azerbaijan Popular Front then in power (before Heydar Aliyev came to power) and its leaders were strongly against Azerbaijan's membership in the CIS. They believed that if Azerbaijan became a member of the CIS, it would not be able to fully protect its independence and would depend on the CIS for making certain decisions. However, Azerbaijan's accession to the CIS as a full-fledged member came about after the decision of the Parliament of Azerbaijan to transfer presidential powers to Heydar Aliyev.

The successful representation of Azerbaijan in the Commonwealth of Independent States, formed by the former union states, was achieved thanks to the political will of the national leader Heydar Aliyev. In his speech at the inauguration ceremony on October 10, 1993, Heydar Aliyev spoke about the importance of the CIS as well: "We are confident that the accession of Azerbaijan to the CIS will create favorable conditions for the development of the republic's economy, and it is necessary to use these opportunities effectively."

The Commonwealth of Independent States was established on the basis of the "Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States" signed by the heads of state of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine in Minsk on December 8, 1991. On September 24, 1993, at the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State, a resolution was adopted on the accession of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the CIS.
  
The Charter establishing the CIS was adopted in 1993. According to the Charter, there are the following areas of cooperation within the CIS:

- Ensuring human rights and freedoms;

- Coordination of foreign policy activities;

- Development of cooperation in the formation of common economic space, transport, and communication;

- Public health and environmental protection;

- Social and immigration policy issues;

- Combating organized crime;

- Cooperation in defense policy and protection of external borders.

Thus, the Charter defined the main goals of the CIS member states. Hundreds of treaties have been adopted over the period of CIS activity and a large body of law has been drawn up as a result.

After the Republic of Azerbaijan joined the CIS, important reforms were implemented in the national legislative system and numerous new laws on cooperative activity with the CIS were adopted.

The Republic of Azerbaijan successfully cooperates with all member countries within the framework of the CIS, except for Armenia, in various fields, especially in cultural, humanitarian, scientific and other fields. Azerbaijan is guided by its national interests within the framework of cooperation with the CIS member states.  

The Republic of Azerbaijan actively participates in the annual meetings of the CIS Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government, the Economic Council, the Council of Foreign Ministers and other bodies of which it is a member.

The Charter states that the Commonwealth was formed on the basis of sovereign equality of all its members and that the Member States were independent and equal subjects under international law. The Charter also states that the CIS serves the development and strengthening of friendship, inter-ethnic accord, trust, mutual understanding, and cooperation between States.

Sergei Lebedev has served as Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee - Executive Secretary since October 5, 2007, and has been CIS Secretary General since January 1, 2023. (From January 1, 2023, by the decision of the CIS Council of Heads of State, the position of the chairman-executive secretary of the CIS Executive Committee was renamed the Secretary General of the CIS.)

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Belarus is the permanent authorized representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the charter and other bodies of the CIS.

The main tasks of the organization are cooperation in political, economic, environmental, humanitarian, social, cultural and other fields, creation of a common economic space and customs policy, ensuring human rights and freedoms, cooperation in maintaining peace and security, combating organized crime, cooperation in the field of defense policy and protection of external borders, etc.

There are basically 9 areas of cooperation within the CIS, and the overall goal of the organization is to develop multilateral cooperation in the economic, military-political and humanitarian spheres.

At present, the CIS has a total of over 90 bodies, of which 8 are statutory bodies, 69 sectoral cooperation bodies and 15 other bodies.

The supreme body of the Commonwealth of Independent States is the CIS Council of Heads of State, which discusses and decides on fundamental issues related to the organization's activities.

The relations of Azerbaijan with the CIS, including bilateral relations with member states of the organization, are built on the principle of mutual respect and serve national interests.

Azerbaijan's cooperation with the CIS covers various fields.

Independent Azerbaijan has created a free trade regime with all CIS countries, except for aggressor Armenia, as well as a solid legal basis for free investment has been formed between our republic and other CIS states.

The CIS Council of Heads of State has approved the Program of Cooperation on Combating Terrorism and Extremism for 2023-2025.

Relations of Azerbaijan with the CIS are in progress. In addition to bilateral relations with former Soviet republics, our republic attaches great importance to multilateral cooperation with these states within the framework of the CIS, and the legislative system is being developed in the meantime.
 
Recommended literature:

1. İsaməddin, Səyid oğlu Osmanov. MDB Dövlətlərinin iqtisadi-sosial coğrafiyası / İ.O. Osmanov.-Bakı: BDU nəşriyyatı, 2004.- 342 s.
2. Mirabdullayev, Adil Mirabdulla oğlu. Müstəqil Dövlətlər Birliyi müasir beynəlxalq münasibətlərdə : monoqrafiya / A. M. Mirabdullayev ; elmi red. H. C. Əlibəyli. - Bakı : Elm, 2012. - 196 s.
3. Əliyev, Həmzə Hüseyn oğlu. Azərbaycan Respublikasının Müstəqil Dövlətlər Birliyi ilə münasibətləri /H. H. Əliyev ; baş red. İ. Zeynalov. - Bakı: RENESSANS, 2005. - 164 s.
4. Əliyev, Həmzə Hüseyn oğlu.XXI əsr: Azərbaycan - MDB ölkələri: humanitar əlaqələr, 1991-2005-ci illər /H.Əliyev; Elmi red. S.Sayadov; AMEA A.A.Bakıxanov adına Tarix İnstitutu. - Bakı: Ulu, 2008. - 316 s.
5. Шакирзаде, Незрин. Содружество Независимых Государств / Н. А. Шакирзаде ; Институт философии, политических и правовых исследований НАНА. Азербайджанская Республика во внешнеполитических и внешнеэкономических процессах : 1991-2006 гг.: монография. - Баку : Сада, 2007. - 512 с.
6. Азербайджанская Республика в Содружестве Независимых Государств / Секретариат Президента Азербайджанской Республики. - Баку : Nurol, 2001. - 287 с.
   Мамед-заде, Наргиз Сабир кызы. Взаимоотношения Азербайджанской Республики со славянскими странами СНГ и Восточной Европы: монография / Н.С. Мамед-заде.- Баку: Ганун, 2006. - 200 с.