MOSCOW, 7 October (BelTA – TASS) – An informal meeting of CIS leaders will kick off in Moscow this evening. Its participants will discuss various topics in a friendly setting ahead of the official summit, Yury Ushakov, aide to Russia's president, announced at a briefing on 7 October, BelTA has learned.
According to him, the informal meeting with the CIS leaders will be a preparation for the summit. "The informal meeting will touch upon many regional and international issues," Yury Ushakov said. He pointed out that the format of free discussion is "very, very productive."
The official meeting of the CIS leaders will also have the elements of free discussion, Yury Ushakov said. He noted that the presidents "will exchange views on cooperation within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States."
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko arrived in the Russian Federation on a working visit on 7 October. The president is expected to take part in the CIS Heads of State Council meeting in Moscow on 8 October.
