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Ukraine’s possible withdrawal from CIS to affect Ukraine’s people

Executive Secretary of the CIS Sergei Lebedev said “it would be in the interests of Ukraine’s people to maintain kind friendly neighborly relations and cooperation with the Commonwealth states”

Sergei Lebedev ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin

Sergei Lebedev

© ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin

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Ukraine asks CIS executive committee to suspend its CIS presidency

MINSK, March 20. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s possible withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will affect greatly the country’s people and economy, the CIS’s Executive Secretary Sergei Lebedev said.

“Ukraine’s possible withdrawal from the CIS will affect greatly the people of Ukraine, the country’s economy,” he said.

Lebedev said “it would be in the interests of Ukraine’s people to maintain kind friendly neighborly relations and cooperation with the Commonwealth states.” He expressed hope for “realistic thinking, smart approaches, followed by reasonable action.”

“All Commonwealth states are concerned about the events in Ukraine,” Lebedev continued. “The executive committee has offered every possible support in settling the issues that Ukraine is facing.”

“The inner political situation, the crisis in Ukraine make it very complicated for Ukraine to preside in the Commonwealth.”

“We take the news as a fact,” Lebedev said, commenting on Ukraine’s decision to resign from chairing the Commonwealth of Independent States.

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