Belarus president consults Putin :: Charter'97 :: News

The presidents of Russia and Belarus are meeting in Moscow a day after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for political change in Minsk.

Ms Rice`s comments and her decision to meet Belarussian dissidents during a Nato summit in Lithuania prompted strong criticism.

Belarus and Russia accused her of meddling in the country`s affairs.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, arriving in Moscow, quipped that Ms Rice`s comments left him "indifferent".

"But it is heartening that she is aware this country, Belarus, does exist and that she knows its location," he added.

Mr Lukashenko had been scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for a regular meeting of the body overseeing the creation of a union between Russia and Belarus.

Among the other items on the agenda is plans for a common currency.

Correspondents say that the Russian and Belarussian leaders are likely to close ranks in the face of what will be perceived as US interference in Russia`s sphere of influence. On Thursday, Belarus MPs expressed their concerns at Ms Rice`s decision to meet seven Belarussian dissidents.

`Last dictatorship`

Nikolai Cherginets, a senior MP in the Belarussian parliament, condemned the meeting as a "return to the times of the Cold War".

"It`s a call for an overthrow of the legally elected authorities in Belarus," he said.

Ms Rice told the seven dissidents that there would be "a road to democracy in Belarus", which she has described as the "last true dictatorship" in central Europe.

She defended the right to public protests and called for a free media as well as credible elections. She said the presidential election scheduled for 2006 would offer "an excellent opportunity" for the people of Belarus to voice their will.

"We will support the idea that elections, when they are held, should be free and fair," she added.

But the opposition is divided and, despite more than a decade of rule by Alexander Lukashenko, has failed to find a figure-head to unite around, says the BBC`s regional affairs analyst Steven Eke.

Belarus is an important defence partner and a vital part of its gas export pipeline network. For these reasons, our correspondent says the Russian foreign ministry has already said it rejects the need for "regime change".