"We're acting to ensure that there is no hunger in Russia", said former U. S. Ambassador Richard Armitage, coordinator of U. S. humanitarian and technical aid programs.
Armitage met with Alexander Zhitnikov, deputy head of the Russian Commission on International Humanitarian and Technical Aid, to finalize projects made possible by the U. S. Congress's approval Monday of a $417-million aid package for the former Soviet Union.
The bill also provides a $12. 3 billion increase in the U. S. quota for the International Monetary Fund earmarked for Russia. The aid bill awaits President George Bush's signature.
"The promising projects available to us now may yield enormous benefits", Zhitnikov said at a joint press conference Tuesday.
Congress conditioned Russia's share of aid on the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Baltic countries and on reducing Russian exports of sophisticated military equipment to Iran.
"The U. S. Congress was very annoyed with Russia's recent sale of submarines to Iran", because of Iran's past incidents of terrorism involving the United Slates, Armitage said.
He said talks are underway to assure the United States that the Russian government will resolve that issue, as well as the withdrawal of Russian troops from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Armitage noted that the acute
housing shortage in Russia is one factor in bringing the troops back to Russia. He said that a portion of the technical aid will be used for the housing industry.
Concerning the humanitarian aid to Russia, Armitage said that 4 million surplus military meals will be on the way in two weeks to 17 cities in the Urals, Siberia and other remote areas where near-emergency conditions exist, he said.
"Smaller amounts of food will arrive in Moscow and St. Petersburg, to be distributed by the Salvation Army at soup kitchens", he said.
Zhitnikov said that some of the food aid would also be sold "through outlets", with the proceeds used to assist the poor.
Short-term supplies of medicines are scheduled to arrive in Russia Oct. 9 and Oct. 12, "but there are several projects to help the revive Russia's pharmaceutical industry", Armitage said. Sister programs are planned at 11 Russian hospitals, he added.
_"The thrust of our involvement here is to assure that there is enough food this winter", he said. "But, in the long-run, technical assistance is the answer".
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