Dushanbe to Host EurAsEC Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin is to take part in the Sunday meeting of the Interstate Council of Presidents of the Eurasian Economic Community in Dushanbe. /The EurAsEC united Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan./ According to Sergei Prikhodko, the deputy head of the Kremlin administration, the sides intend to approve the priority lines of the community's development in 2003-2006. Besides, the presidents of the five states will discuss cooperation between EurAsEC members in their joining the World Trade Organization, mechanisms to protect domestic markets, the EurAsEC budget, and the chairman of the organization.

The organization is currently headed by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and if one of the sides suggests to prolong his term of office, Russia will support it, said Prikhodko, commenting on the latter issue.

It is also expected that EurAsEC members will allow Armenia to act as an observer at the EurAsEC sessions. If this is done, Armenia will become the organization's third observer after Moldova and Ukraine.