YALTA (Combined Sources)–Presidents of countries that make up the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) began to gather in Yalta–the Crimea–for the third CIS summit this year–scheduled to begin on Friday.
Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian met informally on Thursday with the presidents of Ukraine and Georgia.
Kocharian and President Leonid Kuchma discussed economic cooperation–noting a 60% increase in trade between the two countries during the first half of 2003–compared to the same period last year.
Kocharian later met with Georgian President Eduard Shevernadze. No details were available.
CIS presidents are expected to endorse a plan of action to raise the efficiency of economic cooperation in the Commonwealth–as well as a set of measures to counter terrorism.
Presidents of ten of the twelve CIS countries are expected to attend the Yalta conference.
