Lukashenka won't attend horse races because of EU-Russia summit

The informal CIS summit, peviously timed to coincide with the horse race for the prize of the Russian President, won't be attended by the Belarusian leader.

The main race of the country to the prize of the Russian President is to take place on June 1. But this year it will take place not in Moscow as usual, but in Rostov-on-Don where Dmitry Medvedev will be himself, where he arrived to Russia-EU summit, Gazeta.ru informs.

The informal summit of the CIS leaders traditionally gathered by the leader of Russia on the day of horse races, won't take place in fact. Only Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan goes to Rostov-on-Don for today.

"This year the race is not timed to the session of the State Council or to the informal CIS summit," explained the spokesperson of the leader of the state Natalya Timakova. "Invitations to the races have been sent. Presidents of Armenia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have confirmed their participation".

Medvedev won't go to the races: "there will be events in Moscow", explained the spokesperson of the presidennt. A year ago Medvedev didn't attend the race track as well.

President of Abkhazia and South Ossetia Sergei Bagapsh and Eduard Kokoity visit the races for a second year in a row.

Leaders of Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine are sure to stay in their capitals.

The press-service of the acting president of Moldova Mihai Ghimpu said to Gazeta.ru that a number of meetings in Chisinau is planned for Tuesday.

The administration of the Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka "has no information" that he plans to visit Russia.

And Viktor Yanukovych's press-secretary Hanna Herman specified that she had not discussed this issue with the leader of the Ukrainian state and she does not have a plan of the possible visit. Besides, the Ukranian president met the leadership of Russia recently.

As for the leaders of countries, they will meet with Medvedev on June 11-12 in Tashkent at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

At the moment the leadership of Russia and Belarus have a number of unresolved questions related to the Customs Union and prices of energy resources. Besides, a visit of the Belarusian leader to Rostov-on-Don at the same time with the leadership of the EU would be obviously undesirable.