Sochi, Russia, August 27, SPA --The presidents of Russiaand Belarus failed to find agreement on issues ranging fromemergency credits to gas prices when they met today fortheir first bilateral meeting in four months, Reuters reported. The two former Soviet republics officially share a customsunion but have been bickering for months over trade, loans andmoves by Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko to improverelations with the West. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hosted three hours oftalks with Lukashenko in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Neitherleader turned up to speak to the media after the negotiations. When asked if any agreements had been signed, Medvedev'schief foreign policy advisor Sergei Prikhodko said: "No, noagreements were signed." "The presidents confirmed their desire to make extra effortsto more actively solve the problems that have stacked up inrelations," he told reporters. Lukashenko, long criticised in the West as authoritarian,has irked Moscow by seeking closer ties with the European Union. When Russia in May said it was suspending a $500 millioncredit for Belarus -- the second tranche of a promised $2billion rescue loan -- Lukashenko ordered his ministers to "lookfor allies elsewhere." Belarus has negotiated a $3.5 billion loan facility from theInternational Monetary Fund to help its economy deal with aslump in exports. Prikhodko said the presidents had agreed to ask theirgovernments to hold consultations on economic cooperation. Belarus has refused to join Russia in recognising theindependence of Georgia's rebel provinces of South Ossetia andAbkhazia. In July Lukashenko snubbed a Moscow summit of aRussian-led regional security summit. Lukashenko says he has been forced to seek other alliesbecause Russia has hiked gas prices and insists Belarus shouldenjoy Russian domestic prices of less than $60 per 1,000 cubicmetres.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/695833