YELTSIN AND CLINTON FIND COMMON GROUND.

The U.S. side appeared to emerge satisfied from a forty-five minute meeting yesterday between the Russian and U.S. presidents. Reports described the talks between Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton as extremely friendly. They also said that Clinton had received assurances on two issues of great importance to Washington: ratification of the START II treaty and greater efforts by Russian authorities to stop the flow of missile technologies to Iran.

On the first score, U.S. officials said that Clinton had received new assurances from Yeltsin that the Kremlin would step up its efforts to win ratification of START II by Russia’s reluctant parliament. Clinton expressed the hope that India’s recent tests might spur Russian lawmakers to move more quickly. He also said that the United States and Russia are in a position to move quickly toward a follow-up START III treaty–once START II is ratified–because the two sides had already discussed a number of the key issues. But, despite what appeared to be some pressure from the Russian side, U.S. officials seemed to maintain their position that Clinton will not travel to Moscow for a planned summit meeting with Yeltsin until after Russian ratification of START II is finalized. (Reuter, March 17)

LENINGRAD GOVERNOR CALLS FOR DUMA ELECTIONS TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD.