Vladimir Putin is set to visit Kyrgyzstan on October 12, as announced by the presidential office of the Central Asian nation. This would mark the first known foreign trip for the Russian leader since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest earlier this year.
Putin's international travels have been exceedingly rare since the commencement of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and he is not known to have left Russian soil since the ICC issued a warrant for him in March, alleging that he was involved in the illegal deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children. The Kremlin has categorically denied these allegations.
The Kyrgyz presidential administration revealed in a statement on its official website that,
"At the invitation of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, on October 12 of this year, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, will make an official visit to the country."
While Putin had previously agreed, during discussions held in May with President Japarov, to visit Kyrgyzstan, the Kremlin has not yet issued an official confirmation of his travel plans for October 12.
Putin's next stop after Kyrgyzstan is expected to be China, where he will participate in the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. It is worth noting that neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are signatories to the ICC, an institution designed to prosecute war crimes.
Moscow continues to vehemently deny the allegations made by the ICC, and the Kremlin has characterized the arrest warrant as an indication of the West's antagonistic stance toward Russia. In response, Russia initiated a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and the judges responsible for issuing the warrant.
Putin's visit to Kyrgyzstan is not only for diplomatic purposes but will also encompass ceremonies commemorating the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Kant air base. This airbase is home to the Russian Aerospace Forces' 999th Air Base.
In an unrelated development, the Kyrgyz presidential office recently revealed that the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, will not be attending a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit scheduled to take place in Bishkek on October 13. Pashinyan reportedly conveyed his inability to attend due to "a number of circumstances."
The CIS was formed in the aftermath of the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991 and includes several post-Soviet republics, with Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan among its members. The Kyrgyz presidential office stated that Putin intends to participate in the summit.
Relations between Russia and Armenia have strained considerably due to Russia's involvement in Ukraine and Armenia's decision to align itself with the jurisdiction of the ICC. Additionally, Armenia has accused Russia of inaction while its neighbor, Azerbaijan, successfully recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh, a region previously controlled by ethnic Armenians for three decades, leading to a mass exodus of Armenians from the area.
Last week, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, canceled an EU-brokered meeting with Prime Minister Pashinyan, prompting a statement from Brussels expressing support for Armenia. On October 10, Pashinyan stated that preparations were underway for a meeting with President Aliyev to discuss the possibility of a lasting peace agreement in the region.
In anticipation of the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the accompanying summit of CIS leaders, authorities in the Chui region of Kyrgyzstan have announced road closures and traffic restrictions to ensure the safety and smooth flow of the high-profile event. To maintain traffic safety during this high-profile event, more than 600 employees of the Main Traffic Safety Department will be deployed to oversee and manage the road closures and traffic diversions.
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