KIEV, Ukraine
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko decided on Thursday to recall the Ukrainian envoy to the Commonwealth of Independent States, according to a presidential statement on Thursday.
Poroshenko gave no reason for withdrawing his country's representative, Anatoliy Dron, from the Executive Committee of the regional trade bloc.
Belarus, however, which currently holds the CIS Presidency, commented through its foreign ministry that the move was a "technical decision."
But it is the second time this year that Poroshenko has snubbed the organization. The Ukrainian president also declined to attend a CIS meeting on Oct. 29, the first time a Ukrainian president has taken such a step.
The snubs are interpreted by some observers as a way of showing the country's new orientation to Europe and the West.
Anatoliy Dron was appointed to the CIS as Ukraine’s representative in 2007, and has been vice-chairman of Executive Committee of the CIS.
But the Belarus foreign ministry insisted that CIS relations with Ukraine were good. “Belarus, which holds the CIS presidency, continues cooperation with Ukrainian representatives of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States” said spokesman Dmitry Mironchik.
He stated that Belarus was convinced that the format of CIS was useful, and that its activities reaped benefits to citizens of member states.
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization of former Soviet Republics, which was formed after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. It coordinates trade, finance, lawmaking, and security in member states.
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