YELTSIN LOBBIES GERMANY TO OPPOSE NATO EXPANSION.

President Boris Yeltsin said January 27 that Russia and Germany see eye-to-eye on virtually all international issues except that of NATO expansion. In what appeared to be an amicable meeting with German foreign minister Klaus Kinkel in Moscow, Yeltsin praised German support for Russian reforms and urged Bonn to join Russia in opposing NATO enlargement so that Germany would "not have to spend millions of dollars" on expanding the alliance. Foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov also met with Kinkel. Russian television noted that the German foreign minister refrained from criticizing Russian actions in Chechnya during the press conference that followed the meetings. Kinkel has been one of Europe’s most outspoken critics concerning the inadmissibility of recent Russian actions in the North Caucasus. (2)

Chernomyrdin in Washington; Christopher to Meet Primakov.