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Ex-Soviet leader Gorbachev cancels Prague conference trip for health reasons

An international conference in the Czech Republic’s capital is scheduled for September 16-18
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Mikhail Gorbachev
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

PRAGUE, September 14. /TASS/. Mikhail Gorbachev has called off going to an international conference in the Czech Republic’s capital of Prague scheduled for September 16-18. The former Soviet president has made this decision for health reasons, the Czech newspaper Lidove Noviny reported on its website. The conference will focus on security developments after the Cold War, new problems and ways to solve them, and aspects of European security in relation to Russia.

"Mikhail Gorbachev is not coming to Prague," the daily reported. "Doctors recommended that he not attend the conference for health reasons."

This information was confirmed by one of the conference organizers, Czech publicist, Milan Syricek.

"We received a message this morning saying that Mikhail Gorbachev was feeling bad last night, doctors recommended that he shouldn’t leave Moscow for at least several weeks," he said.

Some prominent European politicians of the "perestroika" era and the following decades have been invited to the Prague conference, the former Soviet leader was expected to be the main guest.

He was also going to meet Czech President, Milos Zeman. On Sunday, Mikhail Gorbachev was planning to take part in voting in Russian parliamentary elections at the polling station set up at the Russian embassy in Prague.

Mikhail Gorbachev’s Foundation is one of organizers of the Prague conference in which European political veterans will take part.

Mikhail Gorbachev’s press service on Wednesday denied media reports about the abrupt deterioration of his health. "Mikhail Sergeyevich has indeed cancelled the trip to Prague based on his doctors’ recommendation, but he is working as usual and comes to the Foundation’s office every day. He came yesterday and will come today. However, the trip to Prague would be an additional burden on his health, so the doctors recommended that he refrain from going," the press service said.