This years annual informal meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries, t

▶️ This year’s annual informal meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member countries, traditionally held by Russian President Vladimir Putin just before the New Year, has commenced in St. Petersburg. As the perennial host, Putin invited his colleagues from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to hold discussions not in the formal atmosphere of the negotiating table, but rather in a relaxed setting while touring St. Petersburg’s world-famous palaces and parks. On Tuesday, the leaders of the CIS visited the Pavlovsk Palace open-air museum, after which the visiting dignitaries plan to tour Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof. Video: TASS/Ruptly Источник: TASS Russian news agency