Moscow, Dec 26 (AP) A tightly scripted meeting of the Russia-dominated economic alliance of several ex-Soviet countries was briefly disrupted on Thursday when two leaders clashed during a live broadcast of the event. .
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other heads of state attended the meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is seeking to gradually ease his country’s ties with Moscow and build closer ties with the West, has canceled his visit after testing positive for COVID-19. After joining the meeting through video link.
The script of the carefully organized session at a resort near St. Petersburg changed when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, whose country was taking over the rotating chairmanship of the economic group from Armenia, urged Pashinyan to visit Belarus for the union’s next meeting. Did.
Pashinyan responded that he planned to attend the Belarus meeting via video call, after which Lukashenko pressed for clarification and even sent a plane to transport the Armenian delegation to the Belarusian capital. Offered.
Pashinyan then pointed to his earlier decision to block high-level visits to Belarus over Lukashenko’s support for Armenia’s rival, Azerbaijan.
“I don’t think this is the right format for discussing these issues,” Pashinyan said.
But Lukashenko kept arguing and Pashinyan backed down. Putin, who was sitting next to Lukashenko, and other leaders watched the dispute quietly.
The Eurasian Economic Union was formed a decade ago to encourage stronger trade ties and facilitate trade among its members, but it has been marred by economic and other disputes between members. (AP) PY PY
