Comment: Recognition of primacy of the Russian language is in direct conflict with the acts of the non-Russian republics which have rejected Russian as the official republican language.
Vice-President Al Gore, Mr Stepashin's opposite number during his visit, is already under attack for his Russian policy from his main Republican challenger for the presidency, the governor of Texas, George W. Bush.
Yet another diplomatic initiative is being jointly pursued by some American legislators, including a Republican arms-control expert, Curt Weldon, and members of the Russian parliament.