Clinton Arrives For Nuke Summit

President Clinton arrived in Russia with a dual mission Thursday: Give a quiet political boost to embattled Boris Yeltsin and join world leaders in confronting “the unfinished business of the Cold War.”

Beginning today, Clinton will participate in an eight-nation summit to combat nuclear smuggling, accidents and terrorism. The meeting comes 10 years to the month after the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western leaders have been particularly concerned about unguarded and missing nuclear materials - so-called “loose nukes” - as well as unstable nuclear reactors. One goal of the summit is to completely close the Chernobyl power plant by the year 2000.

“We’re just trying to do everything we can possibly do to make the world as safe as it can possibly be and to really finish the unfinished business of the Cold War,” Clinton said.

The meeting will bathe Yeltsin in international prestige two months before Russia’s second-ever presidential election. Polls show him trailing Communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov.

Clinton said Yeltsin has been “very forthcoming” about Russia’s nuclear problems and “very forward leaning” in seeking solutions.

Clinton spoke about his hopes for the summit as he flew on Air Force One from a state visit in Japan to St. Petersburg. He plans a few hours of sightseeing here in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities before tonight’s opening of the summit in Moscow.