ZARYA (MOSCOW REGION), January 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Belarus will sign an agreement on the creation of a common regional air defense system for the Union State they are forming by late January, a Russian military official said Thursday.
"I hope we will do it by the end of January, as all the documents are ready," Air Force Commander Vladimir Mikhailov said.
He said some procedural issues remained to be coordinated.
The two ex-Soviet neighbors have been in talks since 1997 over a Union State with a common economic, customs and political space, but the negotiations have been complicated by a host of issues, including energy and financial disputes.
In line with the plans for a single air defense system, Russia has delivered four S-300 (SA-10 Grumble) anti-aircraft missile systems to Belarus, deployed near Brest and Grodno.
