Moscow, Monday

RUSSIAN President Boris Yeltsin went on to the political offensive today, throwing his weight behind his government's latest economic reform plans and moving to defuse communist opposition to his accord with Nato.

During talks with Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyr-din and senior ministers, Yeltsin backed a programme of short-term economic measures.

''This is not a declaration, not just statistics, but rather a business document which addresses every problem facing each Russian and the country as a whole,'' he said.

Yeltsin then briefed the speakers and party chiefs of both houses of the Russian parliament on his accord with Nato, which will result in a treaty signing in Paris next Tuesday. - Reuter