MOSCOW, November 27 (RIA Novosti) - The presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are expected to sign a deal on a Customs Union between the three ex-Soviet nations on Friday in Minsk.

Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev will meet in the capital of Belarus as part of a session of the Inter-State Council of the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC) member states, and the Customs Union supreme body at the level of the heads of state.

The three post-Soviet countries agreed in early June to form a customs bloc. Its Customs Code was agreed to be presented for approval to the presidents of the three states in November. Unified customs regulations are due to come into effect at the start of 2010.

The three countries earlier announced that they would seek to join the World Trade Organization simultaneously, with a joint bid through their Customs Union.