Commonwealth of Independent States

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The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (Russian: Содружество Независимых Государств (СНГ), transliterated Sodruzhestvo Nyezavisimykh Gosudarstv) is the international organization, or alliance, consisting of eleven former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan discontinued permanent membership as of August 26, 2005 and is now an associate member.

The creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States signaled the dissolution of the Soviet Union and, according to leaders of Russia, its purpose was to "allow a civilized divorce" between the Soviet Republics. However, many observers perceive the CIS as a geopolitical tool, allowing Russia to maintain its influence over the formerly Soviet republics. Since its formation, the member-states of CIS have signed a large number of documents concerning integration and cooperation on matters of economics, defense and foreign policy.

The Commonwealth of Independent States is a loose confederation. Two of the Post-Soviet states in 1997 formed the Union of Russia and Belarus, a loose confederal grouping at present which has the stated intention of re-forming a USSR-like federation at some unspecified future date.