MOSCOW, November 25 (RAPSI) – A new body, the Council of Supreme (Higher) Courts Chairs is to be instituted in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the press service of Russia’s Supreme Court informs RAPSI.

A web conference of the Council of Chairs of higher commercial, economic, and other courts engaged in adjudication of cases relating to disputes of economic character within CIS took place on Wednesday. The XIV meeting of the body was chaired by Vyacheslav Lebedev, the head of the Russian Supreme Court, the statement reads.

Lebedev backed a proposal to institute the Council of Supreme (Higher) Courts Chairs, as the respective draft agreement answered the goals, objectives and principles enshrined in the CIS Charter and facilitated efficient cooperation between CIS higher courts.

Delegations of the CIS Executive Committee, Supreme Courts of Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, and Russia, Supreme Economic Court of Tadzhikistan, and Court of Cassation of Armenia took part in the event.

The new body, according to the participants, is to facilitate more efficient sharing of best practices relating to civil, administrative, commercial, and criminal justice within CIS and closer cooperation in the sphere of justice.

The council is to determine priorities of cooperation between national courts, facilitate implementation of international treaties in the sphere of justice made between CIS member countries, organization and coordination of cooperation between national courts of the CIS as to legal assistance, recognition and enforcement of judicial acts, as well as in the area of training and professional development of judges.

Summing up the meeting, Lebedev thanked the participants for their constructive and fruitful work; he also expressed his belief that the new body was to impart a new impetus to cooperation between CIS courts.