Putin, Lukashenko Hold Talks on Russia-Belarus Integration

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 15, 2002

Putin, Lukashenko Hold Talks on Russia-Belarus Integration

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, held talks on Russia-Belarus integration in Moscow on Wednesday.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, held talks on Russia-Belarus integration in Moscow on Wednesday.

During the meeting in Kremlin, the two presidents expressed their satisfaction with the process of their integration, and theyacknowledged that there were yet difficulties.

The existence of difficulties was a normal thing in the processof creating a single state of Russia and Belarus, something "no one ever did", Putin said.

He suggested two models of integration with Belarus. One provides for the holding of a universal referendum in May 2003, toelect a common parliament of state and a common head of state in December 2003 and in May 2004 respectively. The other provides fora unification in accordance with principles of the European Union.

Lukashenko, who arrived in Moscow on Wednesday morning for a one-day working visit, invited Putin to take up "presidential-level questions" related to prospects for the construction of "a single house."

He denied that serious differences plagued his relations with the Russian head of state regarding the way to build a Russia-Belarus state.

"Vladimir Putin and I have warm relations, and nobody will be able to drive a wedge between us," he said. "We are responsible people and we do not waste time on arguing about trifles."

Putin told reporters after the meeting that he had suggested making the Russian ruble the legal tender of the Union of Russia and Belarus on January 1, 2004, not in 2005, as was initially planned.

The Putin-Lukashenko meeting on Wednesday is the fourth one since the beginning of this year.

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