>> Anyone wanna speculate on the coming Russian-Belarusian "common economic
>> space" will factor into all this? DoreneC
> - --- Union is on hold. Lukashenko wanted Belarus to be a full partner
> of Russia, with himself as vice-president. Putin said, "That is
> ridiculous. Your economy, which we subsidize anyway, is 3% of ours.
> We can either go the EU route or assimilate Belarus into Russia as
> another Russian region." Lukashenko left in a huff.
Yes Chris, but it's in the "on again" phase. Putin was in Minsk Sunday and Monday and issued a statement about a "single economic space" (which must be what DoreneC is referring to), an agreement to introduce the Russian ruble as the common currency in January 2005 ... if agreement can be reached in negotiations this spring (an "agreement to agree"), and what looks like a more real agreement on a Russian/Belarus JV on gas transport. So this week it's not "on hold" but more like slow motion...
Here's the Interfax story: <http://www.interfax.ru/one_news_en.html?lang=EN&tz=0&tz_format=MSK&id_news=5615885>
john mage