President Hipolito Mejia met with Mikhail Gorbachev at the Casa de Campo villa of Maximo Pellerano, president of Omnimedia, publisher of Diario Libre, a free distribution newspaper. The press was not given access to the gathering, but reportedly they talked for about an hour. Gorbachev spoke in Russian, was translated into English, and then into Spanish for President Mejia, who then spoke in Spanish, was translated into English and then into Russian. Gorbachev is on holiday in the DR. His daughter Irina and granddaughter Xenia accompany him. Hoy newspaper reports there are no interviews scheduled with the media. The Gorbachevs will be in the country until the end of the month. (16 July 2001)
