CHECHNYA NEGOTIATES NOVEL AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA.

Chechenfirst deputy premier Movladi Udugov has been in Moscow this weekfor talks with Russian Security Council secretary Ivan Rybkinon a deal to provide funds for Chechen reconstruction. There isno provision in Russia’s 1997 federal budget for aid to Chechnyaso the two sides have had to come up with an imaginative arrangement.Russia will grant the Chechen authorities the right to collectdebts owed to Russia by tax-defaulting Russian regions or by CISmember-countries. The debts will be collected not as money, butin the form of goods and services, the idea being that this willboth reduce outstanding tax debts and provide assistance to Chechnya.Movladi said the scheme has been approved by First Deputy Premierand Finance Minister Anatoly Chubais. (NTV, June 3; Kommersant-daily,June 4)

Yeltsin Empowers His Representative in Primorsky Krai.