51.   Russian and Belarusian lawmakers decided Monday to set up a joint parliament to legislate a loose union treaty between the nations.

52.   The arrests have drawn strong protests in Russia and sparked a political confrontation between the two Slavic nations, which signed a union treaty earlier this year.

53.   The agreement signed Friday follows a union treaty concluded by the two neighboring Slav republics last month.

54.   The Belarusian leadership is even more nostalgic for the Soviet Union and has already signed a union treaty with Russia.

55.   The case has strained relations between the two former Soviet Slav republics, which signed a union treaty in May.

56.   The case long has strained relations between the two former Soviet Slav republics, which signed a union treaty in May.

57.   The council was formed as part of the union treaty forging closer ties between the two neighboring countries.

58.   The case has strained relations between Russia and Belarus, which signed a union treaty in May.

59.   The Dutch-prepared draft of the new union treaty envisages, among other things, sharp reductions of national veto powers.

60.   The crisis is even more painful there since authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a union treaty with Russia, uniting their economies.