RUSSIA: MOSCOW: US PRESIDENT CLINTON MEETS BORIS YELTSIN

(21 Apr 1996) Eng/Russian/Nat President Clinton has met with Boris Yeltsin in Moscow in a further round of morale boosting talks for the Russian President. Mr Yeltsin seemed relaxed, joking that he didn't mind Clinton meeting his arch rival Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. Mr Clinton said he hoped for a breakthrough - Sunday - on the crisis in the Middle East. It was all smiles between Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin as they met at the Kremlin for talks. Yeltsin was in a jovial mood telling Clinton he hoped the bread he had bought at a Moscow bakery has given him enough stamina for their meeting. But the problems in the Middle East were never far from Clinton's mind. His Secretary of State Warren Christopher is trying to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. SOUNDBITE: (English) "As you know he was with President Assad very late last night, last night Syrian time, and he's going back to Israel so we'll see where we are, I hope that I hope we'll have something to say later in the day, but they're working very hard." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, American President SOUNDBITE: (English) (Question) "President Yeltsin, is it all right with you that President Clinton meets with Gennady Zyuganov today?" (Clinton) "He always asks questions of me like that" "Well only provided Zyuganov has some company with him and not one on one in a small room whispering something in each other's ear." SUPERCAPTION: Boris Yeltsin, Russian President Clinton says he is not trying to influence the outcome of the Russian Presidential elections in June, but he has taken pains to praise Yeltsin for reducing the threat of nuclear war and for pushing economic reform. But Saturday's nuclear safety summit and their talks Sunday has given Yeltsin ample favourable media coverage for his re-election bid. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...