RUSSIA REPORTS ECONOMIC GROWTH.

The latest government statistics say that the Russian economy grew last month for the first time since Russia launched its market reforms. Officially recorded gross domestic product increased in April by 2 percent over the previous month. Output is now only a little below what it was a year ago. Some specialists said that the economy actually may be performing better than the numbers indicate because official statistics tend to underestimate the activity of the private sector. (Itar-Tass, May 14; BBC World Service, May 15)

Russia to Lobby CFE Conference.