Moscow, July 18, 2025 — Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Sergey Lebedev said he hopes Azerbaijan’s absence from today’s CIS Economic Council meeting in Moscow is only a temporary episode, not a sign of deeper disengagement.
Speaking to TASS, Lebedev confirmed that no Azerbaijani delegation was present at the meeting but emphasized that no formal explanation was given for their absence.
“We received no negative signals from Azerbaijan regarding the CIS,” Lebedev said. “Yes, the Azerbaijani delegation didn’t attend today, and frankly, we don’t know why. They didn’t inform us. But we sincerely hope this is a temporary matter and that Azerbaijan will remain an active participant in regional integration.”
Lebedev added that both Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Asadov had previously reaffirmed the country’s commitment to CIS cooperation.
Earlier on July 18, Azerbaijani media reported that the country’s delegation was not attending the CIS Economic Council meeting. When reached for comment, Azerbaijan’s Cabinet of Ministers stated it had no official information on the matter. Azerbaijan’s name was also absent from the list of registered participants.
While Baku has not made any public statements signaling a shift in its position toward the CIS, its non-participation comes amid growing signs of strategic distancing. In recent years, Azerbaijan has focused more intensively on bilateral and multilateral relations beyond the CIS framework—particularly with Türkiye, the European Union, and non-CIS regional blocs.
Though Lebedev’s tone remained diplomatic, today’s events may underscore a gradual redefinition of Azerbaijan’s priorities, especially as geopolitical dynamics in the post-Soviet space continue to evolve.
Whether this was a mere scheduling gap or a silent signal remains to be seen—but for now, the CIS leadership is left waiting for clarity from Baku.
