BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

13/12/2007

Putin to visit Belarus for union talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a two-day visit to Belarus to boost plans for a union state comprising the two countries.

Putin begins his official visit to Minsk Thursday, a trip that could expand Putin's options after he steps down as president next year.

He will attend a summit of the Russia-Belarus Union State, the Kremlin's deputy spokesman said.

The meeting will focus on the Union State's 1,580 million dollars budget for next year and discuss the adoption of a constitutional act and fuel and energy cooperation, said Union State Secretary Pavel Borodin.

Though there have been reports that Putin would be the leader of the union between the former Soviet members after he steps down next March, the meeting will not establish the posts of the Union State's president and ministers, Borodin said.

Putin and his Belarusian counterpart discussed the process of creating a unified state by phone on Tuesday ahead of a two-day meeting this week.

The two countries, which agreed to forge a Union State after the collapse of the Soviet Union, witnessed a down-turn relationship in recent years due to disputes over oil and gas prices.

Source:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=34764§ionid=351020602