Interfax: Putin has very busy schedule – press secretary

MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has a very busy schedule at this time, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has said.

“He is holding meetings all the time, but not all of them are public. His schedule is very busy these days. He is discussing crisis-linked issues and other matters. He is keeping in touch with the government, state-owned companies and the banking sector all the time. Naturally, these meetings are taking up much time,” Peskov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station.

When asked about Putin’s health, Peskov said: “There is no need to worry. Everything is fine.”

In an interview with Interfax on Wednesday, Peskov denied rumors that Putin had to cancel his visit to Kazakhstan on March 12-13 because of an illness.

“The president feels well,” he said.

The planned summit of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus in Astana “will be held in a few days at the decision of the three leaders,” he said.

Earlier, Western media claimed that the meeting may have been postponed due to the Russian president’s illness.

A source in the Russian presidential administration told Interfax on Thursday that Putin and South Ossetian leader Leonid Tibilov are expected to sign a treaty to further promote integration processes between the two countries in Moscow next week.

“The document has already passed all required procedures and negotiations, and we expect the presidents of the two countries to sign it in Moscow next week,” he said.

[featured image is file photo]