The Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States – The Three Meetings of the Heads of State, with Particular Reference to Ukraine

Abstract

The break-up of the Soviet Union and the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which included all the former member republics except the Baltic States, created a radically new situation in the region. The processes in Ukraine, in particular the results of the referendum held on 1 December 1991, have greatly contributed to the events. In this context, the study examines the first three meetings of the Heads of State in the history of the Community, namely the Belavezha, the Alma-Ata and the Minsk meetings. Finally, we present the role of the CIS in Ukrainian foreign policy.