PARIS CLUB OPENS SESSION WITH RUSSIA'S REPRESENTATIVE INVOLVED








PARIS, MARCH 6, 2001. /RIA Novosti correspondent Leonid  Kokovich/ --  The Paris Club of creditor nations has gathered in session in the capital of France. Sergei Kolotukhin, deputy finance  minister of Russia, takes part in the session. 


	According to the Russian diplomatic sources in Paris, the  issue of restructuring Russia's debt to the Paris Club is out of the official agenda of the session. However, it may be raised in the course of personal contacts of Sergei Kolotukhin with the  Paris Club chairman, Jean-Pierre Jouyet. 


	Mr Kolotukhin is to acquaint the Paris Club management with the memorandum of the Russian side which reflects principles and mechanisms of the debt exchange for investment irrespective of  any specific type of the debt, the sources noted. 


	Russia is currently making payments on the Soviet-era debt  to the Paris Club in full. 


	A coordinated programme of cooperation between Russia and the IMF is needed for creditors to form their own preliminary  stance with regard to the former USSR debt, while the next IMF mission plans to arrive in Moscow in April to continue the  programme development, the sources noted. 


	The main issues on the session's agenda concern the  redemption of debts to the Paris Club by a number of countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Moreover, restructuring of debts of Ukraine and Georgia to this financial institution will be also considered. 


	The press services of the embassies of these two countries in France confirmed that the Ukrainian delegation headed by  Viktor Mityukov, finance minister, and the Georgian delegation headed by Zurab Nugaideli, finance minister, are currently on a visit to Paris.