MINSK, 18 September (BelTA) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has been invited to attend the CIS Council of Heads of State in Dushanbe on 28 September, Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee – CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev told the media in Minsk on 18 September, BelTA has learned.
"He has been invited to attend the summit in Dushanbe. We are sending all documents regarding the CIS summit to Ukraine: the President Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government office. Thus, we inform Ukraine on all issues of the CIS activities as it has not withdrawn from the CIS de jure," Sergei Lebedev said.
According to him, Ukraine will possibly take part in the CIS Council of Heads of State as an observer. "In this capacity, Ukraine took part in some of our meetings until recently, for example, in the CIS Economic Council meeting. Unfortunately, Ukraine has ceased to participate as an observer," Sergei Lebedev noted.
He said that Ukraine closed its office at the CIS statutory bodies in August. "We received a note saying that the Ukrainian Embassy in Belarus will be maintaining contact with the statutory bodies and the CIS Executive Committee. We are sending all documents relating to the activities of the CIS to Ukraine through its embassy in Belarus," Sergei Lebedev said.