World Wire
U.S. MORE BULLISH ON RUSSIA</br></br>Expressing a new, bullish attitude about reform efforts, the U.S. said Russia will get its $1.5 billion check from the International Monetary Fund following IMF approval of a pact tomorrow.</br></br>Negotiations for the second part of a transformation fund were completed in St. Petersburg, where IMF and industrial nations' officials are attending the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.</br></br>In contrast to Western gloom early this year about Russian economic reform efforts, a U.S. official said, the country has reduced inflation to monthly single digits and drafted a 1994 budget with a deficit that is 9% of gross domestic product -- less than that of Italy. But continued credit control has political pitfalls.</br></br>As high-profile reformers are excluded from Russia's government, many Westerners doubt the sincerity of its efforts, such as more privatizations. The reformers lauded successes but were skeptical about whether Russia can achieve goals of cutting government jobs, closing bankrupt firms and ending some subsidies.