KHANKENDI, Azerbaijan, October 29. The 61st
meeting of the Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy of the CIS
Member States was held in Khankendi, Trend’s Karabakh Bureau reports.


The meeting, organized by the State Agency for Antimonopoly and
Consumer Market Control under the President of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, addressed issues related to the application of
competition law, current market challenges, and the development of
cooperation among member states.


Speakers at the event included Elnur Baghirov, Chairman of the
Agency; Aleksandr Yakovchits, Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation
and Trade of Belarus; Denis Trefilov, Deputy Secretary General of
the CIS; and other officials. Reports were also presented by
representatives of the competition authorities of Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, and Russia.


The speeches addressed innovations in competition policy across
member states, the exchange of national experiences, and the
development of joint approaches to meet contemporary market
challenges. The impact of digitalization, business models based on
artificial intelligence, cross-border economic activity, and
changes in global supply chains on the improvement of competition
policy was emphasized.


The meeting also addressed the progress made in implementing the
decisions adopted at the previous meeting, the activities of the
Joint Investigation Task Force on antitrust violations, and the
expansion of interstate cooperation.


At the meeting, Kazakhstan was elected to chair the Council for
the next term. A decision was also made to hold the 62nd meeting of
the Council in Kyrgyzstan.


Meanwhile, the Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy of the
CIS Member States operates on the basis of the “Agreement on the
Implementation of a Coordinated Antimonopoly Policy” dated December
23, 1993. The Council’s main objectives are to coordinate
competition policy among member states, develop cooperation in the
enforcement of antitrust legislation, and formulate joint
approaches to protecting competition. Belarus currently holds the
chairmanship of the Council.