Gorbachev says Russians should focus on Russians as they build their nation; see A29The United States and Russia Thursday signed space and investment accords designed to boost Russia's battered economy and Boris Yeltsin's political standing. Vice President Al Gore said "the world cannot remain silent" about the views of Russia's emerging opposition leader.
Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin were in buoyant moods after they and deputies signed a dozen agreements, chief among them a 300-page contract bringing Russia into the international space station project."I found the Russian leadership in a positive, determined and confident mood, committed to moving ahead with democracy and reform," Gore told a joint news conference after the signing ceremony.
As he celebrated the new agreements with Russia, Gore also escalated the Clinton administration's criticism of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the ultranationalist whose Liberal Democratic Party leader made a surprisingly strong showing in Russia's parliamentary elections.
"Neither I nor my country can remain silent about the outrageous and reprehensible views with which he has associated himself," Gore said, going on to compare Zhirinovsky with Hitler.
"I feel compelled to say that given all of the experience of this century, anytime someone emerges on the scene with a claim to a share of power and popular appeal, who talks cavalierly about mass death, the world cannot remain silent," Gore said forcefully. "This is a challenge for Russia, and this is a challenge for the world."
And Gore once again chastised the many nation's that were not following up their promises to aid Russia's economy. He said the foot-dragging has contributed to Russia's depression and the resurgence of nationalism because of impatience with reform.
Chernomydrin closed the event colorfully, promising that the Yeltsin government and its reforms would survive its latest political challenge and delivering this personal message to the American people: "There is no need to be afraid of Russia, no reason to fear Russia."
The space station contract was the culmination of a process begun at the Clinton-Yeltsin summit in Vancouver earlier this year. The deal includes U.S. payments to Russia of $400 million over the next four years in exchange for up to 10 NASA space shuttle missions to the Russian space station Mir.
The first cosmonaut to fly on the U.S. space shuttle will join a mission scheduled to take off in six weeks, negotiators announced.
The two countries also signed several modest investment agreements, including joint U.S.-Russian ventures in gold mining and manufacturing of heavy truck engines. Also signed was a package energy deal, including a $125 million grant to Russia for purchase of U.S.-made energy-efficiency products and an agreement on legal protections for U.S. companies so they can inspect and repair older Russian nuclear reactors.