Putin arrives in Dushanbe for CIS summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived from Baku (Azerbaijan) to the Tajik capital Dushanbe where he will take part in a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on Friday, September 28.

Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters earlier that the program would begin on Thursday evening at an informal dinner at a government residence. The presidents are expected to talk to each other informally and discuss difficult issues, "including rather sensitive," Ushakov said.

The main program of the post-Soviet bloc’s summit is due on Friday. The presidents of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan and the prime minister of Armenia have confirmed their participation. Turkmenistan will be represented by a deputy prime minister. Meetings in narrow and expanded formats are scheduled.

Ushakov also said that Putin would meet on the sidelines of the summit with the presidents of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan - Emomali Rahmon and Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Besides, the Kremlin did not rule out other contacts "on the go". In particular, such a meeting is planned for Thursday with Moldovan President Igor Dodon.

A total of 18 documents are expected to be passed at the summit. Specific attention will be paid to preparations for celebrations to mark 75 years since Soviet defeat of Hitler’s forces in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War in 2020.

Russian Federation Council upper house Speaker Valentina Matviyenko plans a report on a draft CIS Convention on cooperation in the research and peaceful uses of outer space.