Eurasian leaders to hold talks in Russia

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – Leaders from Eurasia are set to gather in Russia’s St. Petersburg over the next two days for separate meetings of key regional integration bodies.

The Kremlin said Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to St. Petersburg on Sunday to attend a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, which will address current issues facing the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

“In particular, it is expected that a free trade agreement will be signed between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Republic of Indonesia,” a Kremlin statement said.

Putin will also attend on Monday a traditional informal gathering of leaders from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

A number of regional leaders have already arrived in Russia for one or both meetings, including Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Others expected to attend include Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian state news agency RIA reported Sunday that Putin is set to hold separate meetings with Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the informal CIS summit. Azerbaijan has not yet officially confirmed Aliyev’s participation.

The CIS was established in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union to promote cooperation in economic, political, and security affairs. Its full members are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, while Turkmenistan holds associate membership. Moldova suspended its participation in CIS meetings in 2022.

The EAEU, meanwhile, was formed under a treaty signed in May 2014 that entered into force in January 2015. Its members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.