Misplaced Pages

Alma-Ata Protocol

L–R: Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and Belarusian leader Stanislav Shushkevich after signing the treaty
Type	Treaty establishing a founding declarations and principles of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Signed	21 December 1991
Location	Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, Soviet Union
Effective	21 December 1991
Signatories	Russia: Boris Yeltsin  Belarus: Stanislav Shushkevich Ukraine: Leonid Kravchuk  Armenia: Levon Ter-Petrosyan  Azerbaijan: Ayaz Mutallibov  Kazakhstan: Nursultan Nazarbayev  Kyrgyzstan: Askar Akayev  Moldova: Mircea Snegur  Tajikistan: Rahmon Nabiyev  Turkmenistan: Saparmurat Niyazov  Uzbekistan: Islam Karimov

The Alma-Ata Protocols were the founding declarations and principles of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus had agreed to the Belovezha Accords on 8 December 1991, declaring the Soviet Union dissolved and forming the CIS. On 21 December 1991, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan agreed to the Alma-Ata Protocols, formally establishing the CIS. The latter agreement included the original three Belavezha signatories, as well as eight additional former Soviet republics. Four former Soviet republics did not participate: Georgia, and the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The Baltic states consider their incorporation into the USSR in 1940 as illegal.

The protocols consisted of a declaration, three agreements and separate appendices. In addition, Marshal Yevgeny Shaposhnikov was confirmed as acting Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Separate treaty was signed between Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine "about mutual measures in regards to nuclear weapons".

The Alma-Ata Protocols removed any doubt that the Soviet Union no longer existed "as a subject of international law and geopolitical reality" (in the words of the Belovezha Accords' preamble), since 11 of the 12 remaining republics had declared that the Soviet Union had dissolved. The signatories preemptively accepted the resignation of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who told CBS News that he would resign when he saw the CIS was a reality. Gorbachev resigned on 25 December, and the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR voted the Soviet Union out of existence on 26 December.

Agreement on Councils of Heads of State and Government

A provisional agreement on the membership and conduct of Councils of Heads of State and Government was concluded between the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States on 30 December 1991.

Agreement on strategic forces

Concluded between the 11 members of the Commonwealth of Independent States on 30 December 1991.

Agreement on armed forces and border troops

Concluded between the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States on 30 December 1991.

See also

• CIS Charter

References

1. "Протокол к Соглашению о создании Содружества Независимых Государств, подписанному 8 декабря 1991 года в г. Минске Республикой Беларусь, Российской Федерацией (РСФСР), Украиной".
2. "THE ALMA-ATA DECLARATION". Federal Research Division / Country Studies / Area Handbook Series / Belarus / Appendix C. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 22 January 2001.
3. (Угода про спільні заходи щодо ядерної зброї). Verkhovna Rada. 21 December 1991
4. Clines, Francis X. (22 December 1991). "11 Soviet States Form Commonwealth Without Clearly Defining Its Powers". The New York Times.

External links

• The Alma-Ata Protocols (Russian language). Archive of Egor Gaidar
• The Alma-Ata Protocols (Russian language)
• English translation

• Commonwealth of Independent States
• Dissolution of the Soviet Union
• 1991 in the Soviet Union
• Treaties of Moldova
• Treaties of Azerbaijan
• Treaties of Armenia
• Treaties of Kazakhstan
• Treaties of Kyrgyzstan
• Treaties of Tajikistan
• Treaties of Turkmenistan
• Treaties of Uzbekistan
• Treaties concluded in 1991
• Treaties establishing intergovernmental organizations
• Law of the Commonwealth of Independent States
• Eurasian economic integration