DATE=6/22/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43700
TITLE=RUSSIA / G-8
BYLINE=ANDRE DE NESNERA
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: MANY RUSSIAN ANALYSTS SAY THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED COLOGNE
SUMMIT WAS IMPORTANT POLITICALLY FOR MOSCOW -- BUT BROUGHT NO
NEW FINANCIAL HELP FOR THE COUNTRY'S BELEAGUERED ECONOMY.
CORRESPONDENT ANDRE DE NESNERA REPORTS FROM MOSCOW ON RUSSIAN
REACTION TO THE SUMMIT OF THE SO-CALLED "G-8" -- THE GROUP OF
SEVEN LEADING INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS, PLUS RUSSIA.
TEXT: ANALYSTS HERE IN MOSCOW SAY THE MAIN ACHIEVEMENT OF THE
G-8 SUMMIT IN COLOGNE, GERMANY WAS TO BEGIN REBUILDING RELATIONS
BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST FOLLOWING SERIOUS DISAGREEMENTS OVER
THE CRISIS IN KOSOVO.
MOSCOW'S STRONG CRITICISM OF NATO'S 78-DAY BOMBING CAMPAIGN
AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA HEIGHTENED TENSIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE
WEST. IN ADDITION, THE UNEXPECTED PRESENCE LAST WEEK OF SOME 200
RUSSIAN SOLDIERS OCCUPYING THE AIRFIELD IN KOSOVO'S CAPITAL --
PRISTINA -- DID NOT HELP MATTERS.
EXPERTS SAY IT WAS TIME FOR A SO-CALLED "FEEL-GOOD" SUMMIT AND
THE G-8 MEETING IN GERMANY PROVIDED JUST SUCH A FORUM.
VIKTOR KREMENYUK IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MOSCOW'S "U-S-A AND
CANADA INSTITUTE." HE SAYS, POLITICALLY, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT
FOR THE G-8 SUMMIT TO TAKE PLACE.
// KREMENYUK ACT //
THE MAIN POSITIVE ASPECT WAS THAT RUSSIA PARTICIPATED IN
THE WHOLE THING, SINCE I UNDERSTAND THERE WERE SOME
DOUBTS WHETHER THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SHOULD GO OR NOT.
SECOND, EVERYONE WAS SO AMIABLE AND FRIENDLY AND THERE
WERE NO QUARRELS AT THE (SUMMIT) TABLE DIRECTLY. BUT
I THINK THAT IS IT -- BECAUSE ALL THE REST IS AS IT WAS
BEFORE THE MEETING.
// END ACT //
IN OTHER WORDS, THE SUMMIT LEADERS TOOK NO MAJOR ACTION --
EITHER ON THE POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC FRONTS.
ROLAND NASH IS AN ECONOMIST WITH A LEADING RUSSIAN BROKERAGE FIRM
"M-F-K RENAISSANCE." HE BELIEVES WESTERN LEADERS AT THE SUMMIT
DECIDED NOT TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS RUSSIA'S ONGOING ECONOMIC AND
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.
// NASH ACT //
THEY WERE ACTUALLY DIPLOMATICALLY TRYING TO AVOID MANY
OF THOSE DETAILS. AS SOON AS YOU START GETTING INTO THE
DETAILS OF THE RUSSIAN ECONOMIC SITUATION, THINGS GET
GORY (MESSY) QUITE QUICKLY AND SO I THINK THE IDEA WAS
TO TRY AND SORT OF BRUSH THEM UNDER THE MAT FOR THE TIME
BEING AND GET ON BETTER TERMS AFTER KOSOVO.
// END ACT //
MR. NASH SAYS THERE WERE SOME HINTS ABOUT RESTRUCTURING THE
SOVIET UNION'S 100 BILLION DOLLAR DEBT INHERITED BY RUSSIA -- BUT
NO CONCRETE PROPOSALS WERE PRESENTED. //OPT// HE AGREES THE
COLOGNE SUMMIT WAS A "FENCE-MENDING" EXERCISE.
// SECOND NASH ACT //
IT (THE SUMMIT) IS BEING VIEWED -- AT LEAST BY THE
MARKETS -- AS HAVING BROUGHT DOWN THE FINAL POLITICAL
BARRIER TO RUSSIA MOVING TOWARDS ACTUALLY GETTING
FUNDING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. AND I
THINK THAT IS A REASONABLE SUCCESS FOR RUSSIA.
// END ACT // //END OPT//
THE I-M-F HAS FROZEN ANY AID TO RUSSIA, PENDING A SERIES OF
ECONOMIC REFORMS. THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT -- THE DUMA -- IS
CURRENTLY LOOKING AT LEGISLATION INCLUDING A PACKAGE OF NEW
ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL MEASURES.
THE G-8 SUMMIT ALSO MARKED THE APPEARANCE ON THE INTERNATIONAL
STAGE OF RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER SERGEI STEPASHIN. ANALYSTS GAVE
MR. STEPASHIN HIGH PRAISE DURING HIS TWO DAYS IN COLOGNE BEFORE
BEING REPLACED FOR THE FINAL SESSION BY PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN.
//REST OPT// MR. NASH SAYS THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT -- KNOWN FOR HIS
SOMETIMES ERRATIC BEHAVIOR -- ALSO WEATHERED THE SUMMIT WELL.
// THIRD NASH ACT //
YELTSIN DID NOT DO ANYTHING RIDICULOUSLY WRONG. HE DID
NOT EMBARRASS HIS COUNTRY ENORMOUSLY AND I THINK THAT
WAS A REASONABLE SUCCESS. HIS HANDLERS WERE PLEASED TO
GET HIM BACK ON THE PLANE WITHOUT ANY MAJOR 'FAUX PAS'
(BLUNDER).
// END ACT //
THAT THEME WAS PICKED UP BY MANY RUSSIAN COMMENTATORS AND
NEWSPAPERS, SUCH AS THE DAILY "VREMYA." COMMENTING ON THE COLOGNE
MEETING, ITS EDITORIAL WRITER SAID: "THE G-8 SUMMIT PROVIDED
AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT BORIS YELTSIN CAN BOARD A PLANE, WALK, TALK,
JOKE AND INTIMIDATE." (SIGNED)
NEB/ADEN/PCF
22-Jun-99 11:59 AM EDT (1559 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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