Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkmenistan not to attend CIS summit
ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 21, 2006 Friday 08:25 AM EST
The CIS informal summit to begin later on Friday will not be attended
by Ukrainian, Georgian, Armenian and Turkmen presidents.
Turkmenistan’s President Saparmurat Niyazon, who is holidaying at
the Caspian seaside, said he would not participate in the summit
beforehand, while Ukraine’s Yushchenko, Georgia’s Saakashvili and
Armenia’s Kocharian decided on this spontaneously.
These changes did not affect the summit’s agenda. The assessment of
international situation and the CIS upgrading and reforming will be
of priority.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin invited his counterparts to meet
in Moscow on July 21-22 to discuss the CIS reform informally ahead of
the regular summit in autumn," presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said.
Ukraine’s Viktor Yushchenko hesitated for a long while, as his
participation in the forum depended on Ukraine’s political situation.
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian presidential press service said
Yushchenko has strong intention to come, but a few hours after press
secretary Irina Grishchenko announced of Yushchenko’s refusal.
"Taking into account Ukraine’s internal situation, the president
decided he should stay in the country," she said.
Yushchenko will wrote a letter to Putin explaining the reason of his
refusal and confirming that Russia remains Ukraine’s strategic partner,
she said.
"In his letter Yushchenko will also invite Vladimir Putin to visit
Ukraine. He hopes that his Russian counterparts will understand his
decision," Grishchenko said.
Georgia’s Saakashvili, who earlier on Friday dismissed the government,
and soon after re-appointed all ministers, except from state minister
for conflict settlement – Georgy Khaindrava and environment protection
minister – Georgy Papuashvili, decided not to go to Moscow, although
his plane was ready to land off.
Merab Antadze, who replaced Khaindrava and was preparing
Putin-Saakashivili meeting in Moscow said "he failed to agree on the
bilateral meeting within the framework of the CIS summit."
"However, we’ve agreed to hold such a meeting in the near future,
and the two presidents will be able to consider Tbilisi’s proposals,"
he said.
Armenia’s Robert Kocharian got heavy cold and will not take part.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who currently presides over
the CIS, confirmed his participation and prepared a program document
on the CIS reform for the Moscow summit, Kazakh Foreign Minister
Kasymzhomart Tokayev said.
Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin will also attend the summit. On
July 19, he said he "was not satisfied with current relations with
Russia."
"Most problems the two countries face are concentrated on the Dniester
region conflict settlement," he said.
Voronin sees no political undertones in Russia’s gas export price
hikes.
"Russia is reconsidering its economic policy in the CIS, not only in
relation to Moldova, but also to other countries of the CIS increasing
gas export prices for them," he said.
As for Russia’s ban on import of Moldovan wines, Voronin expressed
the hope that this step "will make Moldova’s winemakers to look for
new markets."
The schedule of Voronin’s bilateral meeting is now being coordinated,
the Moldovan presidential press service said.
"The Belarussian delegation led by President Alexander Lukashenko will
arrive in Moscow on Friday," the Belarussian Foreign Ministry’s press
secretary, Andrei Popov, told Itar-Tass. "The program of Lukashenko’s
visit is now being finalized."
He pointed out that Lukashenko believes that "the CIS has the future
and it is necessary to define areas for further cooperation once
again."
Azerbaijan’s Ilkham Aliyev will arrive in Moscow after a short
vacation, the head of the presidential administration’s foreign
affairs department, Novruz Mamedov, said.
Aliyev will express "his attitude to cooperation prospects within
the CIS framework," he said.
Tajikistan’s Emomali Rakhmonov, who also confirmed his participation in
the upcoming summit, believes that "it is too early "to decommission"
the CIS."
The Kyrgyz and Uzbek presidents are also expected to take part.