ASTANA.  March 2. KAZINFORM Today Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev has received First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government Igor Shuvalov, the Presidential press service informs.

The President congratulated Russia on beginning of its chairmanship in the CIS. N. Nazarbayev noted that the Commonwealth of Independent States was established on the initiative of Kazakhstan on December 21, 1991 in Almaty.

"To my mind this decision was quite right at that time", the Kazakh Leader noted. N. Nazarbayev also stressed importance of implementation of the agreements on establishment of the Customs Union and formation of the Single Economic Space on schedule.

I. Shuvalov said that the Russian Federation intended to provide support to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War as well as to promote development of science and technologies during its chairmanship in the CIS. In this view Russia together with other CIS partners plans to initiate new projects in transport, energy, labor market, education and culture, Shuvalov added.

"Soon the CIS will mark the 20^th anniversary since its establishment. We should develop a new document on free trade zone by this date", I. Suvalov said upon completion of the meeting.

The parties also focused on the course of fulfillment of the presidents' instructions on creation of the Customs Union of Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia given in Minsk in 2009.  

Shuvalov informed Nazarbayev of the decisions taken at the last session of the Customs Union's Commission. He also said that the process of elaboration of the documents on establishment of the Single economic space by January 1, 2012 would start in July 2010.

 "This is the next stage of integration we are moving to", I. Shuvalov highlighted.