SOCHI, August 27 (RIA Novosti) - The presidents of Russia and Belarus met in the Black Sea resort Sochi on Thursday to talk bilateral economic ties.

Alexander Lukashenko, in Sochi at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, said last week he would raise "an entire range of complex issues" in bilateral relations at talks with Dmitry Medvedev.

Relations between the former Soviet neighbors, which have been trying for several years to establish a Union State, have been strained over a series economic and political disputes, including Russian energy supplies and Lukashenko's reluctance to sign a deal to set up a post-Soviet rapid reaction force.