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DATE=1/24/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-244608 TITLE=RUSSIA/ALBRIGHT (L-ONLY) BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN, WHO HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED AFTER DEVELOPING A BLEEDING STOMACH ULCER, MAY BE UNABLE TO MEET PERSONALLY WITH U-S SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT -- WHO BEGINS A TWO-DAY VISIT TO MOSCOW MONDAY. BUT A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAYS MR. YELTSIN MAY WILL LIKELY SPEAK TO MS. ALBRIGHT BY TELEPHONE. THE U-S SECRETARY'S VISIT COMES WHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND MOSCOW ARE ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT -- AS WE HEAR FROM VOA'S PETER HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW. TEXT: THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT COMES AT A TIME WHEN THE U-S--RUSSIA RELATIONSHIP IS AT WHAT MANY EXPERTS SAY IS THE LOWEST POINT SINCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR. DIFFERENCES OVER SUCH ISSUES AS IRAQ AND KOSOVO HAVE DEEPENED THE DIVIDE, CALLING INTO QUESTION THE FUTURE OF THE DISARMAMENT PROCESS. BUT MS. ALBRIGHT AND HER RUSSIAN COUNTERPART, FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV, SEEM DETERMINED TO KEEP THE RELATIONSHIP ON A POSITIVE TRACK. A TOP U-S OFFICIAL, BRIEFING REPORTERS ON THE VISIT SAID, WE CONSIDER IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A REGULAR ENGAGEMENT AND DEAL WITH DISAGREEMENTS AS THEY EMERGE. FOREIGN MINISTER IVANOV TOLD REPORTERS RUSSIA WILL NOT ALLOW ITS MOST IMPORTANT BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP TO DETERIORATE. ///IVANOV RUSSIAN ACT/// HE SAID: IT'S IMPORTANT THE DIALOGUE CONTINUE AND THAT THESE DIFFERENCES DO NOT ESCALATE INTO FRONTAL CONFRONTATION. A SENIOR OFFICIAL ON MS. ALBRIGHT'S DELEGATION SAID HER NUMBER ONE AGENDA ITEM WILL BE ARMS CONTROL. THAT INCLUDES SEVERAL ISSUES -- INCLUDING RUSSIA'S FAILURE TO RATIFY THE START TWO TREATY, AND A U-S REQUEST TO RENEGOTIATE THE 1972 ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE ACCORD. PRESIDENT CLINTON LAST WEEK REQUESTED AN OVERHAUL OF THE A-B-M TREATY TO ALLOW FOR A MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM SIMILAR TO THE STAR WARS IDEA PROPOSED BY FORMER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN. THAT REQUEST WAS SEEN BY MANY ANALYSTS IN MOSCOW AS A SIGN THE UNITED STATES HAS ABANDONED HOPE THAT RUSSIA'S PARLIMENT WILL EVER RATIFY THE START TWO ACCORD. SECRETARY ALBRIGHT ALSO IS EXPECTED TO BRING UP SEVERAL OTHER CRITICAL ISSUES DURING TALKS WITH PRIME MINISTERYEVGENY PRIMAKOV AND OTHER TOP RUSSIAN OFFICIALS. ONE IS THE NON-PROLIFERATION DISPTUE INVOLVING ALLEGATIONS THAT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR AND MISSILE TECHNOLOGY HAS LEAKED TO IRAN. FOR THE RUSSIANS, MS. ALBRIGHT'S VISIT IS EXPECTED TO BE A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE. ANALYSTS SAY THE KREMLIN WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A TOUGH LINE AGAINST WHAT MANY HERE SEE AS AMERICAN BULLYING ON ISSUES SUCH AS KOSOVO AND IRAQ. BUT THE RUSSIAN POSITION IS WEAKENED BY MOSCOW'S NEED FOR U-S SUPPORT IN ITS NEGOTIAITONS FOR A RESUMPTION OF LOANS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. AN I-M-F TEAM IS ALSO CURRENTLY IN MOSCOW FOR TALKS ON A SUSPENDED 22-BILLION DOLLAR LOAN PACKAGE. //REST OPT// WHILE HERE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE ALSO WILL SEE SEVERAL POTENTIAL FUTURE RUSSIAN LEADERS. SHE HAS APPOINTMENTS WITH THREE POSSIBLE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: MOSCOW MAYOR YURY LUZHKOV, SIBERIAN GOVERNOR AND FORMER GENERAL ALEXANDER LEBED, AND LIBERAL FACTION LEADER GRIGORY YAVLINSKY. MS. ALBRIGHT LEAVES RUSSIA WEDNESDAY. BEFORE RETURNING TO WASHINGTON, SHE WILL ALSO VISIT EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA, BRITAIN, AND FRANCE. (SIGNED) NEB/PH/WFR 24-Jan-99 9:03 PM EST (0203 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .