MOSCOW, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Russian President Boris Yeltsin
had a long telephone conversation with U.S. President Bill
Clinton on Friday, the Kremlin press service said, giving no
more details.
The United States on Thursday called on Russia to stabilise
its economy after sharp falls in Moscow's financial markets and
pressure on the rouble. Some analysts say Russia may need more
Western credits to help it through its crisis. Clinton is due in
Moscow on September 1-3 for a summit.
"It's critical that the Russian government act quickly to
restore confidence in their economy," White House spokesman Mike
McCurry said in unusually blunt terms on Thursday after Wall
Street was hit by Russian jitters, showing U.S. alarm at the
prospect of instability in the world's second nuclear power.
McCurry said Washington was working on a way to help but
declined to be drawn on whether there might be more cash for
Russia, which won a $22.6 billion Western bail-out last month.
Yeltsin, blaming Russia's woes partly on global problems and
responding to the U.S. calls, vowed earlier on Friday not to
devalue the rouble and appealed to parliament to hold a special
mid-recess session to approve crisis measures.
Russian shares rose by 14 percent after what was dubbed
"Black Thursday", jumping so sharply that trading was suspended
at one point. But dealers said trade was extremely thin and so
the rise did not signify a return of investor confidence.
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