MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will work in his hometown of St. Petersburg and will meet with CIS leaders there on his 70th birthday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday.

"Tomorrow, the President will work in St. Petersburg. A number of international phone calls [are planned for tomorrow], we will keep you posted. An informal meeting of CIS leaders is also planned for tomorrow," the spokesman said.

The event will take place in the Konstantinovsky Palace and will become an important step in preparing for the upcoming CIS summit, which will take place in Astana next week.

The spokesman was asked to tell if tomorrow’s meeting will have a "festive flavor" and whether the affair provides for congratulations from foreign leaders, for example.

"As a rule, this is never part of the protocol, and gifts are often passed along the lines of protocol. But, of course, everybody has known each other for years, decades even, so they will likely wish a happy birthday like people do," the spokesman explained.

Peskov refrained from commenting if Putin will celebrate with his family or friends.

"The President will have a busy day tomorrow. After all, many heads of states and governments will attend. As for family business - it’s separate. You know, we don’t like to talk about that usually," he added.

The reporters noted that they used to be able to wish a happy birthday to the President in person.

"That was before Covid," Peskov agreed. "But this will certainly be brought back someday."