Basic legislature of Russia and Belarus Union State to be adopted in 2004 at the latest

The Constitutional Act of Russia and Belarus Union State will be adopted either this year or in 2004 at the latest. This also concerns the terms of the elections to the joint Union Parliament, State Secretary of the Russia-Belarus Union State Pavel Borodin said.

In his opinion, the basic legislature, which is being drafted at the present, must be called the Constitutional Act and not the Constitution, because the document is prepared "for the interjacent period of the Union State formation".

According to Borodin, Belarus and Russia, being sovereign countries, must delegate to the authority of the Union State the policy of defense and military-technical cooperation, protection of borders, taxation, investment and credit policy, and formation of a single legal space.

There are still disagreements between Moscow and Minsk concerning the formation and functions of a single emission center, the Union State Secretary said. However, Borodin expressed the hope that "the mutually beneficial agreement will be reached in the nearest future."