BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

07/12/2007

Talks to center on uniting Russia, Belarus

BY VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian and Belarusian officials will consider next week a proposed framework for the long-debated merging of the two nations, officials said Thursday.

The move raised speculation that Putin may seek to become leader of the new country that would be created by the merger. That would permit him to step down as Russian president next May, as required by the constitution, but become chief of the enlarged nation.

Belarus' presidential office said Putin would attend meetings next week in Minsk that would focus on a draft constitution.

It gave no details, but any constitution would describe a governmental structure.

Talks about the merger have been mired in disagreements, particularly about Belarus' status in the proposed union.

Source:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071207/NEWS07/712070393/1009