Medvedev will meet Lukashenko, if 'bakta' asks for it

No meeting is planned between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in the framework of the informal summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization to be held from 20-22 August in Yerevan, reports Russian daily Izvestia.

According to the Kremlin Mr Medvedev has said he does not intend to hold a face-to-face meeting with Mr Lukashenko.

"Should Lukashenko ask for a meeting, we will discuss that possibility, but no bilateral meeting can take place by our initiative," a Kremlin source said.

Relations between the two leaders were strained when Mr Lukashenko said that Mr Medvedev misinterpreted his words about an alleged pledge at a meeting to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.