Moscow, 5 February 1997 (RFE/RL) - A senior Russian official says the long delayed summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) could take place on March 15.
Russia's Minister for CIS relations, Aman Tuleyev, told Interfax news agency today that the Executive Secretary of the CIS, Ivan Korotchenya, is currently consulting heads of state to make sure March 15 is an acceptable date.
The CIS summit has been delayed twice. Official reports have said the meeting was postponed due to scheduling conflicts of several CIS leaders. Aides to Russian President Boris Yeltsin have denied that the delay is related to the president's recent illness.