Russian PM holds talks on financial crisis -agency
Saturday August 15, 8:47 am Eastern Time
MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko met his finance
minister, the head of the central bank and the Kremlin's chief debt negotiator on
Saturday to discuss Russia's economic crisis, Interfax news agency said.
They and other key ministers discussed ways to minimise the effect on Russia's
economy and financial markets of the latest turbulence on world financial markets, the
agency said, quoting ''informed sources in financial circles.'' The report could not immediately be confirmed.
Anatoly Chubais, who represents Russia at talks with international lenders, interrupted his holiday earlier on Saturday to
return to Moscow, Interfax said.
Plunging investor confidence sent Russian shares to two-year lows on Thursday, pushed up treasury bill yields and put
pressure on the rouble.
President Boris Yeltsin, who has been on holiday in Russia's northwest for most of a month, returned to the Moscow
region to continue his break there, the Kremlin said earlier on Saturday.
U.S. President Bill Clinton urged Yeltsin by telephone on Friday to take quick, decisive action on the faltering economy.
Yeltsin and the central bank have ruled out devaluing the rouble in response to the crisis. |
