Russia's newly appointed envoy on Yugoslavia Viktor Chernomyrdin has welcomed a German peace plan for Kosovo. The move signals a mellowing in Moscow's tough stance against NATO.
Mr Chernomyrdin, a former Prime Minister, told reporters in Moscow that Russia had to back a peaceful way out of the crisis. He said the German proposal to stop all military action for at least for 24 hours to look for compromises deserved attention.
In Bonn, the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he was ready to meet Mr Chernomyrdin soon to search for ways to end the conflict. Russian news agencies reported that Mr Yeltsin will meet Mr Chernomyrdin later today.
