Russia's trade with CIS countries growing - Putin

TURKMENBASHI, Turkmenistan. Oct 9 (Interfax) - Russia's trade with members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) exceeded $110 billion in 2025 and continued to grow this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"The trade turnover between Russia and CIS members topped $110 billion in 2025. It grew another 19% in the first half of this year," Putin said at the narrow-format meeting of the CIS summit.

The CIS can achieve much more, should it choose to lift trade barriers, he said.

"Can we progress even faster? Perhaps, we can. What should we do? Barriers should be lifted," Putin said.

The heads of state are doing practical work, but restrictions are imposed "sometimes at the national level," Putin said. "We are intentionally slowing the pace ourselves," he said.