Minsk yet to confirm Belarusian PM's attendance at Eastern Partnership summit
MINSK. May 19 (Interfax) - The Belarusian government press service has yet to confirm the attendance of Belarusian Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov at the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga.
"So far, we have no information to this effect [about the prime minister's participation in the summit]. Andrei Vladimirovich [Kobyakov] is planned to visit Gomel tomorrow," government press secretary Olga Dolgaya told Interfax.
Rikard Jozwiak, Brussels reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty tweeted earlier, with a reference to EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko would not come to the summit but the Belarusian prime minister would be there on his behalf: "JHahn confirms that Lukashenka will not come to summit in Riga. PM of belarus will come instead".
An Interfax correspondent has reported, quoting the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, that the level of Belarusian representation at the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga on May 21-22 would be determined by President Lukashenko.