The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, offered his backing to President Yeltsin's efforts to tame Russia's financial and economic crisis when the two leaders spoke by telephone yesterday, the Kremlin said.
"Blair briefed [Yeltsin] about his contacts with the G8 [Group of major industrial power] leaders and expressed his support to the efforts of the Russian leadership in overcoming current difficulties and stabilising the economy," a Kremlin statement said.