NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, invited the Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the North-Atlantic Alliance Summit to be held between 2-4 of April in Bucharest, stated on Wednesday James Appathurai, NATO spokesperson. “The NATO Secretary General, who is also presiding the NATO-Russia Council, suggested for this event to be held in Bucharest with heads of states and governments” and “he invited President Vladimir Putin to attend”, said James Appathurai. In case the Russian President declines the invitation, “we can openly speak of issues we don’t agree on', added the Alliance’s spokesperson. This would be the first participation of President Putin to a NATO-Russia Council, since he co-presided the establishment of this forum in 2002, at Pratica di Mare, on the Italian coast, south of Rome.
Kremlin hasn’t replied yet, to the invitation, and the Moscow observers expect a confirmation (or a denial) of Putin’s presence in Bucharest after the presidential elections in March. Vladimir Putin was also expected to attend the previous NATO Summit, held in November 2006 at Riga, but the Kremlin leader had finally decided not to attend.
(Source: Rompres)
