(6 Jan 2001) German/Nat
XFA
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his wife arrived in Moscow on Saturday for a private visit to celebrate the Orthodox Christmas with President Vladimir Putin and his wife.
Schroeder and his wife, Doris, were met at Moscow's Vnukovo airport by Putin's wife Lyudmila.
The two first ladies chatted in German and Schroeder said he was surprised to be met in person by the Russian first lady.
The Schroeders went on to the Kremlin where they were welcomed and given a tour by Putin.
The two leaders later visited Red Square for a walkabout, before attending a performance of the Bolshoi ballet.
Since their first meeting, when Putin visited Berlin last June, the two leaders have developed friendly ties, informally addressing each other in German.
Putin, a former K-G-B agent who served in East Germany during the Soviet era, speaks fluent German.
According to a high-ranking official in the Kremlin, the foreign policy agenda of the informal meeting may include such issues as missile defence, the Middle East, Yugoslavia, the OSCE and other key questions.
Although the two-day visit is being billed as private, Putin and Schroeder are also expected to discuss Russia's plan to skip paying the first quarter payment to Paris Club nations.
Soviet-era debt to the Paris Club, a group of industrialised nations, totals about 48 (b) billion U-S dollars, of which close to half is owed to Germany.
Russia owes about three and a half (b) billion dollars in interest payments on the debt this year.
The missed first quarter payment amounts to about one and a half (b) billion dollars.
Russian officials said a decision on Soviet-era debts would be made after an International Monetary Fund visit to Moscow in late January.
After the Bolshoi ballet, the two couples will celebrate Orthodox Christmas at a midnight mass beneath the golden domes of the recently rebuilt Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 7 in Russia in accordance with the Julian calendar, which the Russian church continues to follow.
SOUNDBITE: (German, not verbatim)
"I am very pleased to visit Russia, especially during such a wonderful holiday as Orthodox Christmas. I am looking forward to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and see how Russians celebrate Christmas night."
SUPER CAPTION: Gerhard Schroeder, German Chancellor
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