The prime ministers of twelve of the former Soviet republics in the Commonwealth of Independent States are in Moscow for talks on closer co-operation, proposals for a free trade zone and a summit of CIS leaders planned for next month or January.

The meeting was convened by the executive secretary of the CIS, the prominent businessman Boris Berezovsky, who has called for a radical overhaul of the organisation.

Mr Berezovsky has just returned from a tour of CIS states to garner support for his plans.

But correspondents say many CIS members are still wary of Russian dominance, despite Mr Berezevsky's calls for them to abandon the old imperial mentality of the Soviet era.