Washington, 23 April 1997 (RFE/RL) - U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright plans to visit Moscow next week to discuss NATO expansion and negotiations on a NATO-Russia charter.
Albright told a U.S. Senate committee today that the negotiations are not yet completed and some issues remain to be resolved.
That contradicts a recent statement by Russian President Boris Yeltsin who said the charter is ready to be signed and that the ceremony would take place in Paris in late May.
Albright said if all charter matters are settled in time, the U.S. would be in Paris. She made the statement in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing on NATO expansion.
Albright said she hopes to be in Moscow next week but that the exact date is still undecided.
In Moscow, an Interfax report said Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov is to meet with Albright and deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott on Tuesday, April 29.