THE HAGUE. March 25 (Interfax) - The absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague has no connection to the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"In this case there is no link to what has been and is happening in Ukraine. The decision that Russia will be represented by the foreign minister was made somewhat six month ago and it was made solely because of pragmatic considerations," Lavrov told a news conference in The Hague on Monday.
Lavrov also pointed at the fact that about one third of 56 countries attending the summit were not represented at the highest level. "Everyone has his own reason for that," Lavrov said.