Before leaving for an official visit to Canada, he also denied reports in the media of a growing rift between him and President Boris Yeltsin.
"Someone is trying to start stories going about an alleged disagreement between the president and the prime minister," Chernomyrdin told Itar-Tass, adding: "Nothing has come between us and nothing will come between us."
Chernomyrdin has been widely tipped as a potential front-runner if he stood in the presidential elections, due to take place in June.
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