One of the principles of cooperation that is aimed at achieving sustainable national economic development of the CIS countries by increasing the role of science and technology is developing and implementing a coordinated scientific and technical policy within the CIS. This article analyses the legal basis of the scientific and technical policies of the CIS countries against the background of their lagging behind global leaders in innovation development. Goals, tasks, priorities, strategic guidelines, results and mechanisms of implementing national strategies of scientific and technological development in Russia and Belarus are investigated. Combining strategic goals and priorities (taking the specificities of the national policies of the CIS countries into account), searching for and identifying a common vector of innovative scientific and technological integration will help both strengthen the shared CIS space and increase the economic development level of each state individually and of all of them together. This formation of common interests contributes to an expansion of cooperation, to development of scientific diplomacy mechanisms, to improvements to joint international scientific competitions of the CIS countries. © 2018, Allerton Press, Inc.