Summit of “Conflicts’ Resolution” :: Charter'97 :: News

Today the first informal CIS summit will open its gates in Kiev. Truly speaking, more and more CIS leaders every year tend to ignore such informal meetings. This time the presidents beat all records, as far as their absence at the summit is concerned. Only eight CIS heads of states stated intention to visit the Ukrainian capital – Russian, Belarusian, Moldavian, Georgian, Tajikistani, Armenian, Azerbaijani and Ukrainian. Four central Asian leaders under various excuses will not engage in the informal summit.

In fact, if one takes a closer look at the events, surrounding the summit, he could rightly suppose that it will be held under the slogan of relationship conflicts’ resolution. The presidents really have a lot to debate on. Vladimir Putin and Eduard Shevarnadze will seek to normalize diplomatic relations, concerning the prolongation of mandate to the Russian peacekeepers, deployed in the area of the Georgian-Abhazi conflict, as well as the situation with the Suhumi-Sochi railway route. Presidents of the countries of the “Caucasian four” – Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan – are likely to concentrate on the movement of Russian peacekeeping contingent from Georgia to Armenia. Presidents of Russia and Moldova will discuss situation in Pridnestroviye and Washington’s role as the new intermediary in the peace-making process. Alexander Lukashenko will surely talk with Vladimir Putin about the future model of the “union state”.

Moreover, in course of the informal summit, reports RIA “Novosti”, the presidents plan to pay attention to the solution of economic problems, especially in the sphere of energy, transport and food market.