MOSCOW, May 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The leaders attending an informal summit meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) adopted Sunday the Declaration on Humanitarian Cooperation in Moscow, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

    CIS member states "will pay priority attention to cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, including issues of culture, national traditions, languages, science, public education, archives, information and mass media, sport, tourism and youth movement," the declaration said.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting that undercurrent conditions, the CIS member states can carry out some long-term projects, from which the peoples of the member states will benefit.

    CIS member states "will examine the possibility of reaching an agreement on humanitarian cooperation between CIS member states, which will include appropriate mechanisms of partnership," the declaration said.

    Ten leaders of CIS member states attended the meeting at the President Hotel. Georgian President Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev were absent from the meeting.

    After the meeting, the ten leaders met war veterans from Russiaand other CIS countries and attended a gala concert for veterans at the Bolshoi Theater.

    The leaders of CIS member states are in Moscow to attend the celebrations on Monday marking the 60th anniversary of Soviet victory of the Great Patriotic War, which will feature a military parade at Red Square and gather a host of world leaders. Enditem