THE Tanaiste is due in Moscow today as head of the EU troika of foreign ministers. Mr Spring, with the foreign ministers of the Netherlands and Italy as well as Mr Hans van den Broek, the EU Commissioner responsible for relations with the CIS, will meet the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Yevgeny Primakov.
Mr Primakov recently returned from the Middle East and talks on the Middle East peace process are planned.
A meeting with the Russian Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Chernomyrdin, has been cancelled as President Yeltsin continues to recover from his quintuple by pass surgery.
The peace process in Chechnya, where up to 80,000 people may have died in a 16 month war, is also expected to arise at the discussions, as is the situation in the former Yugoslavia, in which Russia maintains peacekeeping forces.
Preparations for the Lisbon summit of the Organisation for Security and Co operation in Europe (OSCE), where a new security architecture for Europe will be discussed, are regarded by the Russians as being of the highest importance.
On Saturday the troika travels to Damascus to meet the Syrian Foreign Minister, Mr Farouk al Sharaa. The following day it meets President Hafez al Assad, before meeting King Hussein in Jordan.
That evening the troika will have talks with the Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, in Gaza.
On Monday the troika departs for Cairo to attend meetings with the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, the Foreign Minister Mr Amra Moussa, and the Secretary General of the Arab League, Dr Esat Abdel Meguid. The troika will meet the Egyptian Prime Minister, Mr Canal Ganzouri, over lunch in Cairo.
On Tuesday the troika will be in Israel for talks with the Foreign Minister, Mr David Levy, on the margins of the Middle East conference.
In Moscow Mr Spring is expected to raise the question of Irish beef exports to Russia, if the opportunity presents itself.
The regulation of exports, including the ban on beef from Cork, Tipperary and Monaghan will, however, continue to be the responsibility of the veterinary services of the two countries.
Mr Spring will address the Middle East and North Africa Economic Conference before returning to Ireland.
