MOSCOW. Oct 9 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will not take part in the CIS summit in Minsk on Friday, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov told a briefing.
"As for the CIS summit, it's an annual summit attended by the presidents of practically all member countries, with the exception of Ukraine. The level of representation is currently unknown," he said.
"I have called [Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail] Zurabov, but I didn't get a clear response. Someone will come, but it's unclear who, maybe the ambassador," Ushakov said.
Ushakov said the CIS Heads of State Council meeting in Minsk will go according to a standard scenario: the presidents will first meet on-on-one and then there will be a meeting between the delegations, which will be followed by the signing of documents. At the end of the summit, the incumbent and following chairmen of the CIS will speak to the press. The CIS is chaired by Belarus this year and will be chaired by Kazakhstan next year.
Later in Minsk, Ukrainian Ambassador to Belarus Mykhailo Yezhel could not tell reporters who will represent the country at the CIS Heads of State Council meeting. "No, I will not clarify this," he said.
The agenda of the CIS summit comprises cooperation in the economic, humanitarian and law enforcement spheres. A number of documents aimed at developing interaction, strengthening the international drug control system, preventing human trafficking, fighting illegal migration, and intensification of financial control have been prepared for approval.
The summit participants plan to declare 2016 the year of CIS formation and announce the start of the interstate program Cultural capitals of the CIS in Russia and Tajikistan. Voronezh and Kulyab are expected to become these capitals, respectively.
The presidents are expected to adopt a joint address to the people of the CIS and the world public on the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War.
The presidents will also discuss the main results of the current chairmanship by Belarus of the CIS. They are also expected to approve a decision on the transfer of the chair functions to Kazakhstan in 2015.