DATE=9/8/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON - YELTSIN (L)
NUMBER=2-253623
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 5:47 P.M.

INTRO:  Russian President Boris Yeltsin telephoned 
President Clinton Wednesday to deny allegations that 
he and his family are involved in an international 
money-laundering scandal.  Correspondent Deborah Tate 
reports from the White House.

TEXT:  The Washington Post (newspaper) Wednesday 
quotes Swiss investigators as saying they have found 
evidence linking Mr. Yeltsin and his two daughters to 
a bribery scandal involving a Swiss firm that received 
Kremlin contracts.

The Swiss officials are quoted as saying the company 
[Mabetex] paid tens of thousands of dollars in charges 
for credit cards issued to Mr. Yeltsin and his 
daughters [Yelena Okulova and Tatyana Dyachenko].  In 
addition, the firm is said to have transferred one-
million dollars to a Hungarian bank several years ago 
- allegedly for Mr. Yeltsin's benefit.

U-S National Security Adviser Sandy Berger says the 
Russian president denied the allegations during his 
hour-long phone call with Mr. Clinton.

The alleged bribe scheme is the latest in a series of 
allegations involving high-level Russian corruption 
that has the United States concerned.  U-S 
investigators are also probing whether Russian 
organized crime was responsible for illegally 
funneling billions of dollars through accounts at the 
Bank of New York.

Mr. Berger says Mr. Clinton urged Russia to cooperate 
with international investigators who are probing the 
matter.  Mr. Yeltsin vowed that his country would do 
so.

            /// BERGER ACT ///

      He indicated the government of Russia would 
      cooperate with these investigations.  He 
      suggested at least in part there may be some 
      political motivations in his own country that 
      affected these allegations, but he indicated 
      that they would cooperate, and that they were 
      sending a team to the United States on the 13th 
      of September.

            /// END ACT ///

The team of Russian law-enforcement authorities will 
meet with members of the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation and other officials.  Mr. Berger also 
noted that Moscow will host an international 
conference on law enforcement issues next month.

The National Security Adviser says the two presidents 
also discussed arms control issues.  Earlier 
Wednesday, U-S Deputy Secretary of State Strobe 
Talbott opened talks with Russian officials in Moscow 
on a new round of cuts in each country's nuclear 
weapons stockpiles.

In addition, Mr. Clinton and Mr. Yeltsin discussed 
next week's Asia-Pacific Economic summit in New 
Zealand.  Mr. Clinton will be attending the meeting, 
but Mr. Yeltsin be represented by his prime minister, 
Vladimir Putin.   (Signed)

NEB/DAT/WTW



08-Sep-1999 18:14 PM EDT (08-Sep-1999 2214 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.