Support The Moscow Times!

Medvedev’s Tie Comes Off

Medvedev taking off his tie for Nazarbayev at Astana talks Friday. Mikhail Klimentyev

President Dmitry Medvedev overdressed for informal talks of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russia-led regional security group.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that Medvedev was the only head of state in the room wearing a tie at the start of Friday's meeting in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

After handshakes, Medvedev sheepishly loosened his tie and took it off, earning a wide smile from Nazarbayev.

"These informal events in a relaxed atmosphere allow us to discuss urgent issues of our cooperation," Nazarbayev told the visiting heads of state, who were all dressed in suit jackets and white shirts except Kyrgyz leader Roza Otunbayeva, who wore a tan dress with a white jacket. His remarks were reported by the Armenian news site Times.am.

Among the "urgent" items on the agenda was the impact of the planned withdrawal of U.S.-led military forces from Afghanistan on Central Asia, Nazarbayev said ahead of the talks.

The leaders also were to "exchange opinions on urgent issues of the modern international situation, including the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the CSTO responsibility zone," the Kremlin said in a statement carried by RIA-Novosti.

The CSTO comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and is widely seen as a Kremlin-led attempt to form a counterweight to NATO. The presidents of all member states but Uzbekistan attended Friday's talks.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more