Speaking to journalists during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Weimar on 10 April, Russian President Putin announced that the two leaders had solved the problem of the Soviet debt to the German Democratic Republic RIA-Novosti reported. According to the agreement, Russian debt of 6.5 billion "transit rubles" will be slashed to 500 million euros ($440 million), which Russia will pay over the next three years in cash installments. Schroeder added that he met Putin's request because last year Russia began to repay its debts to the Paris Club of creditor nations ahead of schedule.

(RFE/RL 11.iv.02)