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Armenian, Ukrainian presidents cancel Moscow visit
Agence France Presse -- English
July 21, 2006 Friday 11:01 AM GMT
The presidents of Armenia and Ukraine cancelled scheduled visits to
Moscow on Friday for a meeting of leaders of ex-Soviet republics.
"We're not going," said Irina Gerashchenko, a spokeswoman for Ukrainian
President Viktor Yushchenko, blaming "the political situation" back
home -- where the main parties are locked in a power struggle --
for the cancellation, Interfax news agency reported.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian will also not be able to attend
because "he has a respiratory illness," an official from Kocharian's
press office said.
The presidents were due to attend an informal summit of leaders of
the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) group of 12 ex-Soviet
republics.
The announcements came after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's
office said he could not attend because he was busy with a cabinet
reshuffle. Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov was also not expected
to attend.
The CIS members are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and
Uzbekistan. bur-dt/njc
Agence France Presse -- English
July 21, 2006 Friday 11:01 AM GMT
The presidents of Armenia and Ukraine cancelled scheduled visits to
Moscow on Friday for a meeting of leaders of ex-Soviet republics.
"We're not going," said Irina Gerashchenko, a spokeswoman for Ukrainian
President Viktor Yushchenko, blaming "the political situation" back
home -- where the main parties are locked in a power struggle --
for the cancellation, Interfax news agency reported.
Armenian President Robert Kocharian will also not be able to attend
because "he has a respiratory illness," an official from Kocharian's
press office said.
The presidents were due to attend an informal summit of leaders of
the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) group of 12 ex-Soviet
republics.
The announcements came after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's
office said he could not attend because he was busy with a cabinet
reshuffle. Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov was also not expected
to attend.
The CIS members are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and
Uzbekistan. bur-dt/njc