Kyrgyz media: Lukashenka fears

The Belarusian ruler didn't visit the CSTO summit because of panic fear of protests.

Kyrgyz media write about the summit that opened today and pay attention to the absence of the Belarusian ruler.

Political observer Arkady Dubnov spoke to the website vesti.kg about his impressions of the CSTO summit and its participants.

Dubnov notes the summit cannot be considered to be full-fledged, because presidents of Belarus and Armenia didn't arrive.

“It is characteristic that I saw no official explanations about the absence of these two presidents. Of course, we understand why Lukashenka hasn't come. I also heard talks that Serzh Sargsyan is busy with domestic affairs. But their absence shows that they don't care about the problems discussed at the summit – the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2014. It's clear that Lukashenka didn't come not due to the Afghan issue or lack of interest in it, but because people would actively speak against the fact criminals Bakiyevs live in Belarus. Anyway, I don't think it is a positive moment in the CSTO activity.”

Politologists and analysts suggested ahead of the summit in Bishkek that Kyrgyzstan would again raised the question of the extradition of the country's former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his brother Zhanysh, who hide from prosecution in Minsk. Bakiyev was tried in absentia and sentenced to 24 years in prison. Bishkek continues to insist on the extradition of the former president.

Some civil groups and movements in Kyrgyzstan said earlier they would meet the Belarusuan ruler in Bishkek with rallies and protests.