YELTSIN APPOINTS FORMER SECURITY CHIEF TO JUSTICE POST.

President Yeltsin yesterday sacked Justice Minister Valentin Kovalev, embroiled in a sex scandal and accused of mafia links, and appointed Sergei Stepashin in his place. Stepashin, 45, headed the Federal Security Service, successor to the KGB, from 1994 to 1995. He was sacked in the summer of 1995 in the wake of the botched attempt to free hostages seized by Chechen guerrillas in the southern Russian town of Budennovsk. Since then, he has held an administrative post in the Russian government. Stepashin said yesterday that he would make it his priority to bring Russian legislation into line with Russia’s obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, but warned that this would be a long process that could take 10- 15 years. (Itar-Tass, July 2)

Chechen President Discusses Border Issues with Dagestan.