Belarus President Says Union With Russia Based On Equality

Lukashenka (right) and Putin in an undated file photo (epa)

28 January 2006 -- Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has said that a proposed union with Russia would be built on the principles of equality.

Speaking in an interview on Belarusian state television on 27 January, Lukashenka said the creation of a unified state would be "time- and effort-consuming."

The Belarusian president said that there are also unresolved issues to be considered, for example the approval of a single constitution and a shared currency.

Belarus and Russia have been speaking about a union since the mid-1990s, but integration efforts have often stagnated.

(ITAR-TASS)