"I consider it reasonable to use full potential of cooperation between the CIS and SCO, particularly in the area of fighting terrorism, extremism, crime, drug trafficking and corruption. Practical opportunities for that will be provided by the Cooperation Program of CIS member-states in combating terrorism and extremism for 2023-2025, which we will sign today," Putin said at the meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
The president noted that the two organizations could deepen their partnership in other areas as well, including transport, trade, culture, tourism, science, health care and humanitarian cooperation.
Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are meeting in Astana in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The Kazakh capital was also hosting a top-level summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia from Wednesday to Thursday, with Putin in attendance as well.