RUSSIA: MOSCOW: FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC VISIT

(26 Sep 1997) French/Russian/Nat

French President Jacques Chirac, the second day of his visit to Russia on Friday met Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin for talks on economic and technical cooperation.

Later on Friday, Chirac was scheduled to hold a second round of talks with Russian President Boris Yeltsin, as well as meeting French businessmen.

His visit to Moscow will end on Friday evening with a state dinner hosted by Boris Yeltsin in the Kremlin.

Jacques Chirac began the second day of his visit with a meeting in the White House with Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.

The two men discussed the work of their bilateral commission for economic, scientific and technical cooperation.

Much of their discussions centred on trade, where France ranks only eighth among Russia's trade partners.

Although no agreements are due to be signed during Chirac's two-day visit, it has nonetheless been seen as a highly important event.

On Thursday, Boris Yeltsin awarded the French President the Order of Service to the Fatherland, the first time a foreigner has ever received the state honour.

The award was a show of thanks to Chirac for his help in gaining Moscow a voice in NATO and a seat with the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations.

The warm tone of the visit was continued on Friday by the meeting with Chernomyrdin.

In brief remarks to press after the meeting, the Russian Prime Minister praised and thanked Chirac for the support he has given to Russia's reform programme

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"I thank the President for his good relations towards Russia, towards our problems, for his understanding of those problems and I'm sure that this visit will give a good momentum to the furthering of Russian-French relations ."
SUPER CAPTION: Russian Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian Prime Minister

For his part Chirac praised Russia's attempts to introduce a market economy

SOUNDBITE: (French
"Russia has already spent a great deal of effort on implementing reforms and this is irreversible. These reforms will inevitably lead to a market economy which has in fact already happened."
SUPER CAPTION: Jacques Chirac, French President

Chirac will have a further meeting with Boris Yeltsin later on Friday as well as with members of the French business community.

He leaves for St Petersburg on Saturday for a private visit to Russia's second largest city.

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