Former Russian foreign intelligence chief approved as new CIS executive secretary

Sergei Lebedev, the former chief of the Russian foreign intelligence service, today was approved as a new Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Kyrgystan has taken over the CIS rotating chairmanship, according to the decisions taken at the CIS Summit in Dushanbe.  The CIS Executive Committee was previously headed by former Russian interior minister Vladimir Rushaylo. The next CIS summit will take place in September 2008 in Bishkek, reports Ria-Novosti.