A meeting between the Prime Minister of Spain Jose Maria Aznar and the leader of Yabloko Grigory Yavlinsky took place on May 28 2001 at the residence of the Prime Minister of Spain in Moncloa (Madrid), following an invitation made by Aznar to Yavlinsky last autumn at the international conference on security and antiballistic missile defence (ABM), Berlin, where Yavlinsky delivered a report on the prospects for Russian-European ABM.

The main issue of the meeting was economic cooperation between Russian and Spain, in particular, the details of the “debts for investments” scheme, as well as insurance mechanisms for Russian companies. (Spain rates the 6th country in the world in terms ofthe volume of foreign trade and is in the top ten countries in terms of the volumeof foreign investments.)

Special attention was devoted to the ABM problem. Yavlinsky once again drew the attention of the Prime Minister of Spain to the proposal about to establish a non-strategic Russian-European ABM that was sent by President Putin to the General Secretary of the NATO George Robertson in February 2001. He also stressed the need for long and wide-ranging consultations with all European countries with regard to Russia’s proposals. Yavlinsky said: “Only in this way can we guarantee that the American initiatives will not involve uncertainty and instability.”

The situation with human rights in Russia, in particular, in the Chechen conflict, as well as the situation with restrictions on the freedom of press were also discussed during themeeting.

Today, on May 28, the leader of Yabloko will meet the Chairman of the Spanish Senate and the leader of the Liberal Party of Spain Esperanza Aguirra. In the evening Yavlinsky will make a speech to the heads of large companies and financial groups on the political and economic situationin Russia.