(27 Jul 1999) English/Nat
Russian Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin has said differences between Russia and the United States over the rebuilding of Yugoslavia have now been resolved.
Visiting Washington on Tuesday, Stepashin, said before meeting with congressional leaders that he believed progress had been made on the issue.
Russian Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin's second day in the United States began with breakfast at Vice President Al Gore's Washington residence.
The two men had a private meeting before the new Russian Prime Minister headed to Capitol Hill to meet Congressional leaders.
Stepashin said he would take up several issues with U-S President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore during the day.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian with English translation)
"We met on some issues, complicated delicate issues which as a rule are not raised at the official talks. These are the problems our trade relations, economic relations, the problem of Yugoslavia, nuclear technologies and the control and prosperous of the future work of our nations. We also talked about the situation in our country and I was interested in knowing them a vision of our situation and that was my first personal meeting. Sometimes the first meeting is more important."
SUPER CAPTION: Sergei Stepashin, Russian Prime Minister
Stepashin's visit is designed to help overcome the discord stemming from the bombing that ousted Yugoslav troops from Kosovo.
Russia, a traditional Serb ally, opposed force as a remedy for ethnic violence in the Yugoslav province.
Stepashin's first impressions of his meeting with Vice President Gore seemed positive.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian with English translation)
"I personally was deeply satisfied with all the days talks and this makes it possible to make a (unintelligible) that the prospects of trade, economic and military relations in context with the United States and between like which was given by President Yeltsin and Clinton in are very good."
SUPER CAPTION: Sergei Stepashin, Russian Prime Minister
Sitting between Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, with other Republican and Democratic leaders around a U-shaped table, Stepashin talked vigorously in Russian with a translator at his shoulder.
Lott waved off questions from reporters who were ushered out as the formal meeting started in a Senate anteroom.
Stepashin hopes his trip to Washington will result in the approval Wednesday from the International Monetary Fund of a 630 (m) million U-S dollar loan.
The loan is based, in part, on findings by the I-M-F that the Russian parliament has moved to adopt Western-style measures to protect foreign investors.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
