Скачать или смотреть RUSSIA: US PRESIDENT CLINTON VISIT: PREVIEW

(3 Jun 2000) Russian/Eng/Nat
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Russia's preparations were in full swing on Friday ahead of the arrival in Moscow of United States President Bill Clinton.

Clinton's official two-day visit there is due to begin on Saturday evening.

Police and security aren't the only ones preparing of his arrival.

Souvenir vendors and satirical TV shows are also hoping to exploit the high-level tour.

This weekend's summit in Moscow between Bill Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be the first time the two leaders have met at presidential level.

Moscow is preparing on all fronts.

Russia's hit satirical puppet show called 'Kukli', the Russian word meaning dolls, has prepared a special show in honour of the American president's visit.

SOUNDBITE (Russian)
"To a large extent President Putin will relate to president Clinton as some kind of old, ideological, military rival and opponent. Therefore, we thought up the storyline for our show this week about Putin's attempts to talk to Clinton using the language of a professional spy."
SUPER CAPTION: Grigory Lyubomirov, 'Kukli' TV Director

Some senior personnel in the Kremlin administration would like to kick the programme off air for its irreverent look at Russian politics.

But insiders say they know Clinton does not object to being lampooned.

Moscow has become a paranoid city after two massive apartment block bombs killed hundreds of innocent Muscovites last autumn in explosions Russia claims were caused by Chechen separatists.

In recent weeks Moscow's police have been strengthening their efforts to tackle security alerts during Clinton's stay.

Despite heightened concerns about security, Clinton and his entourage will be staying at one of Moscow's more well-known hotels, located along one of the city centre's busiest streets.

Russians remember the U-S president for his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

And, along with the image of the still highly popular Putin, the souvenir pedlars of central Moscow are making the most out Clinton's reputation in these traditional wooden 'matrioshka' dolls.

SOUNDBITE: (Russia)
"Now Putin is number one. Tourists are interested. They also buy the Clinton dolls. And now that he's coming here, they'll buy even more of him."
SUPER CAPTION: Valentina Tikhonova, Souvenir Vendor

So whatever the outcome of the tough talks on missile defence and nuclear disarmament, Putin and Clinton may find it more useful just to get to know each other a bit better this weekend.

They're due to meet again at top-level gatherings of world leaders three times before Clinton leaves office at the end of this year.

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