Four presidents won’t take part in informal CIS summit in Moscow

Prime-Tass Business News Agency, Russia
Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
July 21, 2006 Friday 9:11 PM EET

Leaders from four countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) are not expected to take part in the organization’s informal
summit taking place in Moscow Friday and Saturday.

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko will not take part in the summit
because he has decided to stay home given the "political situation"
in Ukraine, Irina Gerashchenko, Yushchenko’s press secretary, said
Friday, ITAR-TASS reported.

Ukrainian politicians have so far failed to form a coalition government
and appoint the prime minister since the parliamentary election
in March.

Yushchenko plans to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter
explaining the reasons for his decision and assuring him that Ukraine
considers Russia a strategic partner, Gerashchenko said, adding that
the Ukrainian president would also invite Putin to visit Ukraine.

The press service of Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan also said
Friday that Kocharyan would not take part in the summit because he
had come down with a cold, ITAR-TASS reported.

Additionally, the executive office of Georgia’s President Mikhail
Saakashvili also said Friday that Saakashvili had postponed his visit
to the summit, ITAR-TASS said. The executive office did not give a
reason for the postponement.

Merab Antadze, former Georgian deputy foreign minister who is slated
to be appointed conflict resolution minister as a result of the
cabinet’s dismissal on Monday, said Monday that Saakashvili’s visit
had been postponed because the summit’s schedule did not allow the
Russian and Georgian presidents to meet personally. However, they
are expected to meet in the near future, he said.

According to various Russian media reports, Turkmenistan’s President
Saparmurat Niyazov does not usually take part in CIS informal summits
and will not attend the current one as well.

Turkmenistan is an associate member of the CIS, while Ukraine, Armenia
and Georgia are full members. Turkmenistan withdrew from full CIS
membership in 2005.