News - Sergey Lebedev: Armenia, Azerbaijan are expected at Kyrgyzstan meeting of CIS countries’ leaders

Sergey Lebedev, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has made it clear that he is expecting the participation of the leaders of the CIS member countries—except Ukraine and Moldova—at the Bishkek meeting of the Council of the Heads of the CIS States, RIA Novosti reported. The aforesaid meeting in the capital of Kyrgyzstan is scheduled for October 13. The meeting of the Council of the CIS Ministers of Foreign Affairs will take place the day before. "Most of the countries have confirmed their participation. As for the attendance of Ukraine and Moldova, they will not be represented at the meeting of the Council of Heads of State, at the meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs. They refrain from participation, although de jure they remain CIS members," Lebedev told reporters in Belarusian capital Minsk. And when asked about the plans for the attendance of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the Bishkek summit, in connection with the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Lebedev noted that the CIS Executive Committee had no information about other countries, apart from Ukraine and Moldova, not wishing to attend the summit. "In any case, the information we have now proves that, and we hope for it, that most of the [CIS member] countries, except Ukraine and Moldova, will be represented in those forums," added the CIS Secretary General.