Pashinyan Will Not Attend Pre-New Year CIS Leaders Meeting

The informal summit of the CIS countries will start today, December 25, in the Igora resort complex near St. Petersburg, Orda.kz reports.

However, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will miss the event; he has COVID. 

On Monday, December 23, I tested positive for COVID-19. On December 23 and 24, I was in isolation and working remotely from home. On December 25, my test was negative and I am returning to my normal work schedule. However, after consultation with colleagues, I have decided not to participate in today's informal summit of CIS heads of state in St. Petersburg. A decision will be made by the end of the day on my participation in tomorrow's meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, wrote Pashinyan on Facebook.

Armenia has also suspended its CSTO membership.

The country's Prime Minister has previously stated that the organization's member countries failed to fulfill their obligations after Azerbaijan's advances into Armenian territory in 2022.

In October, at the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers in Moscow, Armenia  declined to sign the joint statements “On the principles of ensuring Eurasian security” and “On the inadmissibility of using unilateral restrictive measures in international relations.”

Original Author: Zarina Fayzulina

Read also: 

• News from The South Caucasus
• Informal CIS Summit to Be Held