DUSHANBE, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has decided to establish "CIS Plus," an expanded format of the organization, the press service of the CIS Executive Committee reported Friday.

The initiative was first proposed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the previous CIS Council meeting in Moscow in October 2024.

The new format will serve as a platform for cooperation between CIS member states and other countries, regional blocs and international organizations interested in engaging with the Commonwealth in areas of mutual interest.

According to the Kremlin, CIS leaders have also approved a decision to grant the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) observer status within the Commonwealth.

"We support the strengthening of contacts between the CIS and the SCO," said Russian President Vladimir Putin during the restricted session of the Council.

"It would be beneficial to fully harness the potential of cooperation between the two organizations to ensure the secure and sustainable development of our countries and the entire Eurasian region," he added.

The meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council was held on Friday in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, under the chairmanship of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. Enditem