Russian president arrives in Kyrgyzstan for his 1st foreign trip this year

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, his first foreign visit of the year.

According to the Kremlin press service, his visit will begin with an official meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Zhaparov at the Ala-Archa state residence in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital.

Putin and Zhaparov will hold talks, sign several bilateral documents, and issue official statements.

Following that, Putin will attend a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Russian military airbase in Kant city.

Also on Thursday, the Russian president is scheduled to hold talks with Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev.

The Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will meet in Bishkek on Friday in both a narrow and expanded format.

On the same day, Putin will also hold a separate meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

The CIS members include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

The CIS is an international organization designed to regulate the relations of cooperation between some states that were formerly part of the Soviet Union.