Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will visit Russia on December 10 for a session of the ruling body of the union state the two ex-Soviet neighbors are trying to build, the Kremlin said Monday.

Lukashenko will make a working visit to Russia at President Dmitry Medvedev's invitation for a session of the union state's Supreme State Council, the Kremlin said.

Russia and Belarus have sought to form a union to ensure greater political, economic and social integration since 1996, but the process has stalled recently over a series of disputes.

Lukashenko reiterated his commitment to boosting ties with Russia last week, but also pledged to improve relations with Western Europe.

Medvedev visited Belarus's capital Minsk late last month, when he and the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan signed a package of deals to create a customs union with common tariffs, paving the way for a single economic space.

MOSCOW, December 7 (RIA Novosti)