January 18, 2003 - 19:28 AMT
HEYDAR ALIYEV ASTONISHED ON EXPEDIENCY OF CIS UNOFFICIAL SUMMIT
Azeri president Heydar Aliyev has expressed astonishment on the expediency of holding the unofficial summit of the CIS leaders January 28-29 in Ivano-Frankovsk Ukrainian city. As reported by "Arminfo" agency referring to Baku media, he made the statement at the meeting with chairman of the CIS executive committee Yuri Yarov in Baku. Having acquainted himself with the coming summit agenda, Aliyev asked, "What is the necessity of such a meeting?" Yuri Yarov answered it was the Ukrainian president's initiative and he was not authorized to answer such a question. In his turn first vice premier of the Azeri government Abbas Abbasov being present at the meeting said that economic issues were planned to be discussed there. Answering another question of the Azeri leader why the summit was held in Ivano-Frankovsk, Yarov said the meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian presidents would be held there January 26. "Then the summit is linked with that meeting?" - Aliyev wondered.