BILL Clinton said yesterday that Russian President Boris Yeltsin impressed him in their hour-long meeting as ''clear, concise, and direct and strong''.
With differences on the Kosovo bombing campaign behind them, the United States and Russia may wind up with a better relationship than before, said the US president.
In a TV interview following the summit of world leaders in Cologne, Clinton also disclosed that he had half expected Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to give up within a week of the start of Nato's bombing campaign on March 24. But he said he realised that if Milosevic ''decided to take the punishment of the air campaign, it could go along quite long''.
Yeltsin, who has suffered health problems for several years, came to Cologne only for the closing session of the three-day meeting of the seven economic powers and Russia. Clinton said he was impressed by Yeltsin when they sat face to face. ''We got a lot done,'' he said. ''His behaviour was neither erratic nor shaky today.''
US and Russian negotiators reached a deal on Friday to allow 3600 Russian peacekeepers to patrol in US, German and French sectors in Kosovo and at the airport, answering directly to Moscow's generals, but ultimately under Nato command.
Clinton said he had always wanted Russian forces in multiple sectors, saying their relationship with the Serbs would help protect civilians on both sides.
''We have now formalised that partnership so that even though our relationships with Russia were quite strained during this period of the conflict, I think that we're actually in a position to have a stronger relationship in the future than we had before the conflict started.''.
Clinton said Milosevic, indicted by an international war crimes tribunal, should not rest easily even though Nato allies have given bringing refugees home to Kosovo priority over arresting Milosevic.
''We may not have an extradition agreement with Serbia, but . . . as long as he remains at large, there is no statute of limitations,'' Clinton said. ''And if I were in his position I wouldn't take too much comfort from that.''
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