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DATE=10/01/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=RUSSIA/YUGO (L)

NUMBER=2-267305

BYLINE=LARRY JAMES

DATELINE=MOSCOW

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Russian diplomats are in Belgrade for talks with Yugoslav officials and opposition politicians in an attempt to resolve Yugoslavia's election crisis. Larry James reports from Moscow there are growinf signs Russia may share the Western view that Serbs have voted for democratic change.

TEXT: The Russian Foreign Ministry announced Sunday that two diplomats have arrived in Belgrade and they plan to meet with Yugoslav Foreign Ministry officials and prominent politicians - a term taken to mean the political opposition. Russia's special Balkan envoy Vladimir Chizov is heading the delegation.

Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to have Russia play a more active role in the standoff between supporters of opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica and President Slobodan Milosevic. Yugoslavia has not responded officially to the offer, but an opposition source said that Belgrade had rejected it.

Meanwhile, the German government said Mr. Putin had agreed with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder that Yugoslavia's presidential election last week showed the people voted for a democratic change. That statement followed a telephone conversation between the two leaders late Saturday.

President Clinton also called Mr. Putin during the weekend and told him that the will of the Serbian people should be respected. The White House said later that Mr. Putin had agreed with Mr. Clinton. President Clinton and other western leaders have accused Mr. Milosevic of clinging to power by demanding a second round of voting that they say Mr. Kostunica won outright on the first ballot.

Russia has not taken sides publicly in the election crisis and has criticized western countries that have. Russia has close ties with Yugoslavia and stood by Belgrade during the Kosovo crisis of a year ago. But the comments from western leaders who have spoken with Mr. Putin suggest that Russia's position on the election crisis may be much closer to that of the West than the Kremlin has been willing to state publicly. (SIGNED)

NEB/LDJ/DW/RAE