New cut

The authorities of the Chita region and the Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug signed an appeal to the President of Russia with an initiative to form a new subject of the Federation as a result of the unification of the two regions. The document proposes to assign the new region the status of a region and call it Transbaikal. Referendums on unification are planned to be held in March 2007. In case of a positive outcome, the date of formation of a new subject of the Russian Federation will be considered March 1, 2008.