What are friends for?

Poland A.M.:

The Council of Europe summit will not be attended by top European leaders

The upcoming summit of the Council of Europe, starting on Monday in Warsaw with major security measures, will be snubbed by many world leaders, who are instead sending their foreign ministers. The following countries' prime ministers will not come to Poland, contrary to prior expectations of the Polish government: UK, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, as well as Russian president Vladimir Putin, who until now has participated in every summit of an organization in which Russia is a member, such as the Council of Europe. U.S. president George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi were also invited as observers, but neither will attend, nor send a high-ranking representative. The summit will be attended by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, but only on the second day, as well as majority of presidents from Eastern European countries.