12-13 September 2023, in Bishkek there was held the 16^th Forum of Creative and Research Intelligentsia of the CIS supported by Intergovernmental Foundation for Educational, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation and Ministry of Culture, Information, Sport and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan. Over 200 delegates from cultural and educational establishments, intergovernmental structures, ministries and governing bodies gathered to discuss new formats of collaboration in the spheres of culture and education under common motto "Towards peace and friendship via cultural cooperation".

The events of the forum in the capital city of the Kyrgyz Republic included 9 sessions. The main focus remained on the issues of the development of the common research and educational space across the CIS, directions and forms of work with the young, as well as a particular role of the Russian language as a language of international communication for the Commonwealth. As Vaim Duda, the director general of the Russian State Library, pointed out, "there can be found no substitute for the Russian language, for it's a significant means of communication. Too much depends on the Russian language - one can read masterpieces created within a long period, or they can present to wider audiences the works of their own which were originally written in their national language".

Further on there took place the ceremony of awarding laureates with "Stars of Commonwealth" (given to the persons of science and culture) and "Commonwealth of debuts" (designated for young scientists and young creative people) titles. Then, there was organized a roundtable devoted to the legacy of Chinghiz Aitmatov and development of contemporary literature.

For the first time, within the framework of the forum of 2023 there were held meetings of heads of national information agencies and a roundtable for chairs of the CIS theatre unions.

The Forum of Creative and Research Intelligentsia of the CIS is a largest annual humanitarian event for the CIS space,and each year it would be organized in a different place. The CIS cultural capital for the year of 2024 was announced to be the city of Samarkand, while Tashkent was appointed the capital city for youth events of the coming year.