U.S. Secretary Of State To Discuss In Moscow Plan Of Preparations For U.S. President's Visit To Russia

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, during his December 9-10 visit to Moscow, will discuss a plan of preparations for U.S. President George Bush's forthcoming visit to Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has told journalists in New York. He said Bush's visit has been scheduled for the middle of 2002. "There is little time left, it will pass very fast," Ivanov noted. This is why it is very important to work out a plan of preparations for George Bush's visit to Russia, he added. Speaking of the Jackson-Vanik amendment, Ivanov quoted some U.S. congressmen as telling Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Congress that this amendment will be revoked by the time the U.S. president will go to Russia. The foreign minister pointed out that "this is an internal matter of the United States, this issue is to be resolved by U.S. legislators." "In our view, it is history," Ivanov emphasised.