Armenian, Azeri presidents discuss Nagorno-Karabakh.

CHISINAU, October 9 (Itar-Tass) -- Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents
Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev met on Thursday on the sidelines of the
CIS summit in Chisinau to discuss the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

The meeting took place in the residence of US ambassador to Moldova.
Representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group who organized the meeting are
expected to brief journalists on its results, while Sargsyan and Aliyev
will make no statements for the press.
The two presidents are expected to continue discussing
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement on Friday with Russian counterpart Dmitry
Medvedev.
"Previous meetings yielded at least some result. I am convinced the
same thing will happen at the upcoming meeting," Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said.
"As a co-chair of the Minsk group Russia actively promotes the
settlement. Our efforts meet understanding and support of all negotiators,
first and foremost, of Armenia and Azerbaijan," Lavrov said.

.Lavrov denies CIS split.

CHISINAU, October 9 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov denied allegations that new Moldovan policy towards European
integration, as well as the absence of four Central Asian presidents at
the CIS summit on Friday can mean a split of the organization uniting
eleven former Soviet republics.
"Moldova's leadership confirmed interest in close cooperation within
the CIS framework. Acting Moldova's president definitely confirmed that.
He stressed Chisinau has major interest in the development of economic
cooperation on the CIS space," Lavrov told reporters on Thursday after a
meeting of CIS foreign ministers in the Moldovan capital.
As for the absence at the CIS summit of four Central Asian presidents,
Lavrov said that had happened before.
"It is not for the first time that the council of the heads of CIS
states meet not in full composition. I see nothing strange in it. It is
not always possible for eleven presidents or prime ministers to meet in
one place," Lavrov said.
"Today all the delegations are headed by the people authorized to make
the necessary decisions," he added.

.Medvedev will not meet Yushchenko on CIS summit sidelines.

MOSCOW, October 9 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
will participate in the CIS summit in Chisinau on Friday that will focus
on joint anti-crisis measures and will hold several bilateral meetings on
its sidelines.
His spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said the president will meet Armenian
and Azerbaijani counterparts Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev, as well as
acting Moldovan President Mihai Ghimpu.
No meeting with former Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin is
scheduled.
Timakova said no bilateral meeting is scheduled with Ukrainian
President Viktor Yushchenko although he expressed a wish to talk to the
Russian leader. The spokeswoman said no official request for the meeting
had arrived by diplomatic channels from Ukraine.
Medvedev earlier publicly blamed Yushchenko for conducting an
anti-Russian policy.
As for the trilateral meeting with the Armenian and Azerbaijani
counterparts, Timakova said "we expect no breakthroughs. It is a
continuation of the dialogue, a new step in Nagorno-Karabakh settlement."
With Ghimpu "it will be the first meeting and personal acquaintance,
as well as confirmation of certain positions," Timakova said.
At the CIS summit Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin will deliver
a report on joint anti-crisis measures and will recommend CIS governments
to refrain from protectionism and barring access to domestic markets for
CIS-produced goods.
"We hope the plan will be approved by the heads of state, who may
voice their proposals, and will be submitted to the heads of government
who are scheduled to meet on November 20 in Yalta (Crimea)," CIS Executive
Secretary Sergei Lebedev said.
The summit will discuss preparations for the celebrations of the 65th
anniversary of VE-Day in 2010 and legal aspects caused by the Georgian
withdrawal from the CIS.

.Ukraine continues to arm Georgia - lawmaker.

KIEV, October 9 (Itar-Tass) -- Ukraine continues to arm Georgia
despite Russian protests, Ukrainian lawmaker Valery Konovalyuk, who chairs
the ad hoc parliamentary commission that probes military supplies to
Georgia, said on Thursday.
He said in October last year the Ukrspetzexport Company delivered to
the Georgian port of Poti 35 T-72 tanks and a batch of ammunition.
In December the chartered Bulgarian Chanitrans freighter delivered
from Burgas to Batumi a Grad salvo fire system and firearms.
In March 2009 the Georgian army received from Ukraine anti-tank, land,
magnet and booby trap mines.
In April and May equipment and spare parts for Su-25 jets were shipped
to Poti.
In June one armored personnel carrier and an S-200 anti-aircraft
system decommissioned in Ukraine were delivered to the same port.
In August Georgia received two passive radiotechnical reconnaissance
radars Kolchuga, as well as Osa and Buk anti-aircraft weapons, Mi-8 and
Mi-24 helicopters.
Konovalyuk said Ruslan cargo planes make regular flights to the
Georgian Lacini airport to deliver military hardware.
He said Georgia had already paid 5.6 million dollars for the supplies.
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