Kremlin: Aliyev`s decision not to attend  informal CIS summit in  Russia comes as no surprise to Moscow

ArmInfo.  Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's decision not to attend the informal CIS  summit in Russia was not a surprise to Moscow, Russian presidential  press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We completely understand it. Indeed, all heads of state have very  tight schedules, especially in December, on the eve of the New Year,"  the Kremlin spokesman emphasized, according to AiF. He noted that  Russia continues to develop its partnership with Azerbaijan. 

Note that Azerbaijani media, citing Aliyev's press service, reported  that the Azerbaijani leader will not attend the informal CIS summit  in St. Petersburg due to a tight schedule. Peskov announced the day  before that Putin planned to have separate meetings with the leaders  of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Today, the Kremlin reaffirmed the Russian  president's intention to hold talks with Armenian Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan.