President Yeltsin, in a New Year message, has described 1998 as a hard year, both for him and for Russia.

He said he hoped to leave its bad legacy behind.

Mr Yeltin made no mention of specific events, like the economic crisis in August that brought the country to the brink of collapse.

The BBC Moscow correspondent says that, apart from hopes and dreams, Mr Yeltsin had very little to offer his demoralised people for 1999.

He appeared, however, to have recovered from his latest illness, one of several he suffered during the year, prompting calls for his resignation.