Russia and Belarus have announced new plans for an eventual union.

President Yeltsin and his Belorussian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, signed a declaration in Moscow pledging immediate steps towards a merger; a referendum on the proposals might be held in both countries by the middle of next year.

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, has meanwhile ratified a friendship treaty with Ukraine, after the Russian foreign minister, Igor Ivanov, warned that further delay would drive Ukraine closer to NATO.

Mr Ivanov described the agreements with Belarus and Ukraine as "an important step to the unification of three Slavic nations" -- although correspondents say previous agreements on closer integration between Russia and Belarus have had little impact.