Belarus President may not attend CSTO summit in Yerevan: Kommersant

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko may not attend a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to be held in Yerevan on August 20-21, according to Russian daily Kommersant.

Mr Lukashenko has already ignored a similar meeting in Moscow last year over a ban on Belarusian milk products which aroused tension in relations between Belarus and Russia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he did not plan to hold a bilateral meeting with his Belarusian counterpart even if the latter decides to attend the summit.

Mr Medvedev's move follows a row with Mr Lukashenko. The point is that Russia's president recently lashed out at Mr Lukashenko for backtracking his pledge to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia - something the Belarusian leader denies.

Mr Lukashenko in turn criticized Mr Medvedev accusing him of dishonesty and misinterpretation of his words.

Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia two weeks after the five-day war with Georgia in August 2008.