DATE=5/21/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249660
TITLE=RUSSIA / YELTSIN (L UPDATE)
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN LEFT MOSCOW FRIDAY FOR A
WEEK-LONG VACATION IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA. V-O-A'S EVE CONANT IN
MOSCOW REPORTS THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT ALSO APPOINTED SOME KEY
MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET BEFORE HE LEFT.
TEXT: PRESIDENT YELTSIN WILL SPEND THE NEXT WEEK ON HOLIDAY IN
THE BLACK SEA RESORT OF SOCHI. THE KREMLIN ANNOUNCED THE
VACATION ON FRIDAY, JUST BEFORE THE PRESIDENT DEPARTED. INITIAL
REPORTS SAID THE PRESIDENT WOULD REST FOR TWO WEEKS.
THE 68-YEAR-OLD RUSSIAN LEADER HAS COMPLETED A BUSY TWO WEEKS IN
MOSCOW IN WHICH HE OUSTED HIS ENTIRE CABINET, SURVIVED AN
IMPEACHMENT BID, AND WON PARLIAMENT'S APPROVAL FOR HIS NEW PRIME
MINISTER.
THE KREMLIN PRESS SERVICE SAYS THAT BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE, MR.
YELTSIN SIGNED DECREES REAPPOINTING DEFENSE MINISTER IGOR
SERGEYEV, FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV, AND SEVERAL OTHER TOP
MINISTERS TO THEIR POSTS.
/// OPT /// HE ALSO PROMOTED NIKOLAI AKSYONENKO, A FORMER
RAILWAYS MINISTER, TO THE POST OF DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND
VLADIMIR RUSHAILO TO BE RUSSIA'S NEW INTERIOR MINISTER. /// END
OPT ///
MR. YELTSIN'S SURPRISE DEPARTURE HAS ONCE AGAIN SPARKED CURIOSITY
ABOUT THE STATE OF HIS HEALTH. EARLIER THIS WEEK, PRESIDENT
YELTSIN FAILED TO MEET SPAIN'S VISITING PRIME MINISTER. A
SPOKESMAN FOR THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT SAID IT HAD BEEN INFORMED
PRESIDENT YELTSIN HAD BRONCHITIS.
ALTHOUGH MR. YELTSIN HAS SUFFERED SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS IN
RECENT MONTHS AND YEARS, AIDES TO MR. YELTSIN SAY HE IS PRESENTLY
IN FINE HEALTH AND THAT THE SOCHI VACATION WAS NOT PROMPTED BY
ILLNESS.
A PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN SAYS MR. YELTSIN WILL RETURN TO MOSCOW
NEXT WEEK TO MEET WITH SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG. IT
IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER MR. YELTSIN WILL RETURN TO SOCHI AFTER
THAT MEETING TO CONTINUE HIS VACATION.
THE RUSSIAN LEADER ALSO VACATIONED IN SOCHI IN NOVEMBER,
RECOVERING FROM WHAT AIDES HAD DESCRIBED AS "FATIGUE AND HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE."
/// REST OPT ///
PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE, PRESIDENT YELTSIN SIGNED A DECREE TO KEEP
THE AGING SPACE STATION MIR IN ORBIT. A KREMLIN STATEMENT SAYS
MR. YELTSIN ALSO ASKED SPACE EXPERTS TO RESEARCH NATO'S USE OF
SPACE TECHNOLOGY IN ITS AIR CAMPAIGN AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA AND
WHETHER RUSSIA MIGHT BE ABLE TO DEVELOP SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY.
(SIGNED)
NEB/EC/JWH/JO
21-May-99 2:00 PM EDT (1800 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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