Chairman of the Russian Government Vladimir Putin, Prime Ministers of Tajikistan Akil Akilov, Belarus Sergei Sidorovskiy, Moldova Zinaida Grechany, Armenia Tigran Sarkisyan, Kyrgyzstan Igor Chudinov, Ukraine Yuliya Timoshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Rustam Kasymov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Yagub Eyubov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov have arrived in Astana to take part in the session.

The agenda includes plan of arrangements on implementation of the first phase (2009-2011) of the CIS Strategy of economic development for the period of 2020.

Strategy’s aim is to give a new impetus to the economic development of CIS countries, to ensure stable and balanced economic growth, economic security, welfare and quality of life.

The Strategy is expected to be implemented in three phases.

The plan of arrangements on implementation of the first phase of the Strategy includes measures in the backbone field and mostly in the sphere of economic interaction of CIS countries for the period of 2009-2011. The plan of arrangements was designed given the necessity to minimize consequences of global financial crisis and will secure the coordination of interaction of CIS countries in the economic sphere, as well as development of mutually acceptable ways out of economic challenges and creation of conditions for stable development of economy.

The document envisages expansion of cooperation among states in industrial production, implementation of inter-state programs, particularly in energy, transport and agro-industrial complex. The main attention is paid to increasing the competitiveness of products and introduction of innovative technologies. In the social sphere, the relevance is given to measures to promote employment and create new jobs, bring together the legislation on employment and labor migration.

Special sections of the plan concern expanding cooperation in mutual trade, fuel and energy complex, energy supply, financial and monetary field, in exploring and using outer space, protection of the environment.

The CHG meeting will examine a draft plan of priority actions in the field of the CIS countries’ humanitarian cooperation in 2009-2010.

Three papers which are under the CHG’s consideration have been dedicated to humanitarian field.

The draft solution on the action plan for the further development of a common educational area and cooperation of the CIS countries on education for 2010 envisages approving the plan which includes activities on the legal accessibility of education, academic mobility and developing cooperation in education, harmonizing quality of management systems of education, supporting the talented youth, developing joint educational and scientific activities, implementing support measures to study Russian as a language of interethnic communication and languages of the CIS countries.

The draft of the action plan to implement the Adult Education Development Conception aims to create conditions to form a general education area.

The draft conception to form information-library area at the CIS countries’ border library base envisages forming information-library area which is one of directions of border cooperation.

The action plan for 2009-2010 has been designed to implement the conception.

The CHG meeting will examine the draft agreement to exchange information in crime combating. Information which concerns crime combating will be accumulated at the Interstate Information Bank (IIB) supported by the Russian Interior Ministry. The participant of the agreement will have to fill the bank with new reports which can be used by the CIS countries’ competent agencies.

Heads of Government will also discuss the joint action plan to establish a unified accounting system (EAS) of third-country citizens and persons without citizenship to enter the territory of the CIS member states. Customer of establishment of the CIS EAS will be Migration Service of the Russian Federation.

The Commonwealth is actively preparing to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War and plan of major activities has been developed.

The plan envisages military parade in Moscow with the participation of veterans and workers of the rear of the CIS member states, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and the anti-Hitler coalition, organization of meetings and visits to graves and memorials of veterans in the CIS countries and beyond, an international scientific-practical conferences, symposiums, sports days, sporting events, competitions, festivals, fairs and commemorative events. Some of these events will be held every year.

Large section of the plan focuses on social protection of war participants and persons equated to them. Prior to 2010, it is scheduled to take steps to implement international agreements on privileges and guarantees to participants of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, workers of rear of the war years and the families of deceased soldiers, prisoners in the CIS, to review the issue of setting a pension not less than living cost for all veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and persons equated to them, conduct a survey and take action to ensure housing for all participants in accordance with national legislations.

As part of the plan, the heads of government will adopt a decision to order the issue single commemorative medal "65th Anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" at a meeting in Astana.

Wok is underway in the CIS to search for soldiers missing during the war in Afghanistan in 1979-1989. According to official figures, the number of missing soldiers amounts to 270 people: Azerbaijan - 5, Armenia - 1, Belarus - 12 Georgia - 1, Kazakhstan - 19, Kyrgyzstan - 4, Moldova - 5, Russia - 135, Tajikistan - 4, Uzbekistan - 29 and Ukraine - 55.

The Council of Heads of Government will consider a draft decision to continue the search for soldiers missing during the war in Afghanistan in 1979-1989, search at burial sites, the exhumation, identification and reburial of their remains in homeland.