Commonwealth of Independent States
noun
an alliance of former Soviet republics formed in December 1991, including: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Abbreviation: C.I.S.
British Dictionary definitions for commonwealth of independent states
Commonwealth of Independent States
noun
a loose organization of former Soviet republics, excluding the Baltic States, formed in 1991
Abbreviation: CIS