Formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

On December 21, 1991, in Alma-Ata (now Almaty), Kazakhstan, a significant event marked the effective dissolution of the Soviet Union. Eleven of the former Soviet republics, excluding the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Georgia, gathered to sign the Alma-Ata Protocol, creating the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Context and Significance

• Background: By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Soviet Union was undergoing significant political and economic turmoil. Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of Perestroika (restructuring) and Glasnost (openness) had initiated reforms that inadvertently accelerated nationalist movements and calls for independence within the Soviet republics.

• Bialowieza Accords: Earlier in December 1991, leaders from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus had already declared the Soviet Union effectively dissolved through the Bialowieza Accords, establishing the CIS among these three republics.

The Alma-Ata Meeting

• Participants: The summit in Alma-Ata included leaders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

• Agreements: The signatories pledged to respect each other’s independence, agreed to cooperate on various issues, and recognized Russia as the successor state of the Soviet Union in terms of United Nations membership, including its permanent seat on the Security Council.

• Significance: The formation of the CIS was crucial as it marked the formal end of the Soviet Union, laid out framework agreements for future cooperation among the newly independent states, and aimed at ensuring a peaceful transition from centralized control to sovereign governance.

Aftermath and Impact

• The establishment of the CIS signified the conclusion of the Soviet era, fundamentally altering the geopolitical landscape of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It paved the way for the independence and international recognition of the former Soviet republics.

• Over the years, the effectiveness and influence of the CIS have varied, with some member states seeking closer relations with Western powers while others maintained stronger ties within the organization.

• The event underscored the end of the Cold War period, leading to the emergence of new political, economic, and security dynamics worldwide.

The Alma-Ata meeting and the subsequent formation of the CIS represented a critical juncture in 20th-century history, symbolizing both the challenges and opportunities of post-Soviet independence and governance.