What is Commonwealth of Independent States?
[[File:CIS (orthographic projection).svg|thumbnail|270px]] [[File:Flag of the CIS.svg|290px|thumb|Flag of CIS.]] [[File:Commonwealth of Independent States.svg|290px|thumb|[[Member]] [[state]]s: {{legend|red|Former member}} {{legend|yellow|[[:wikt:associated|Associated]] member}}]] The '''Commonwealth of Independent States''' ('''CIS''') is the [[confederation]] of countries that used to form the [[Soviet Union]]. ==Establishment== On [[December 8]], [[1991]], leaders of [[Russia]], [[Belarus]], and [[Ukraine]] met at the [[nature reserve]] called Belovezhskaya Pushcha in Belarus. They discussed the creation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in place of the Soviet Union. They reached an agreement about many points and signed a document creating the CIS. One of these points stated that the alliance would be open to all the [[republics of the Soviet Union]]. Other nations with similar goals could also join the CIS. ==Nations== The Soviet Union had 15 republics: [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Belarus]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Moldova]], [[Russia]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Ukraine]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], and [[Lithuania]]. On 6th September 1991, the Soviet Union had recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Out of the remaining 12 republics, all (except Georgia) joined the CIS. Before joining the CIS, on 21st December 1991, leaders of these 11 countries had met in Kazakhstan to accept the original CIS agreement of 8th December 1991. Because Ukraine did not [[ratification|ratify]] the CIS agreement in the [[Verkhovna Rada|national parliament]], it never became an official member of the CIS, but nevertheless [[:wikt:participate|participated]] as a [[de facto]] member. In December 1993, Georgia also joined the CIS. On 26th August 2006 Turkmenistan left the permanent membership, and became an associate member. On 15th August 2008 Georgia left the CIS membership, and Georgia's CIS membership officially ended on 17