At the CIS summit, Russia’s regional alliance quietly evolved from post-Soviet bureaucracy into a functioning pillar of the multipolar world At Dushanbe’s Palace of the Nation, the atmosphere was formal yet assured – the kind of measured ceremony that has come to define Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summits. Flags lined the marble hall, delegations moved between quiet consultations, and cameras flashed as the leaders of the Commonwealth gathered once again. But this time, the tone