AS the Group of Seven summit in Tokyo becomes the Group of Eight, with the addition today of Russian President Boris Yeltsin, deep divisions remain within the seven as to what the industrialised countries can and should do to aid Russia.
While strong public relations efforts are certain to be made today by the G-7 to show that they have been decisive and generous regarding aid to Russia, Mr Yeltsin is likely to lay equal stress on qualitative changes in the way Russia is treated.
In his G-7 debut, US President Bill Clinton has pulled out the diplomatic stops to salvage his plan for assistance to Russian plans for privatising former state-owned industries, and appears to have met with some striking success.
Ironically, divisions within G-7 have resurfaced in part because Russia no longer appears to be threatened by an intractable crisis as it was earlier in the year.
Then, hyperinflation of more than 2,000 per cent per annum looked likely on the economic front while, politically, Mr Yeltsin was engaged in a battle with a conservative parliament in which many die-hard communists were making their last stand.
At that time the G-7, after meetings in Hongkong and Tokyo, announced an emergency aid package of US$43 billion (HK333.42 billion) immediately prior to a critical referendum.
Following his striking victory, his Government has taken back control of the Central Bank from the parliament. The threat of hyperinflation has receded and economic reform has regained momentum.