FOREIGN MINISTRY LOSING STAFF OVER LOW PAY.

Confirmingwhat the Monitor reported August 2, Foreign Ministry chiefspokesman Grigory Karasin told Russian and Western agencies August4 that ministry staff is "quitting in droves": juniorstaffers, particularly recent academic and diplomatic school graduates,because of miserly salaries, and senior staffers because of thelure of private sector jobs. Karasin and other officials worriedaloud about the resulting decline in the staff’s professionallevel. Yeltsin has recently mandated the formation of a specialgovernmental commission, due to convene later this month to seekadditional funding for the ministry.

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