WASHINGTON : Hope in Winter

President Bush opens a meeting of top officials from more than 50 countries Wednesday to coordinate efforts to help the pieces of the former Soviet Union survive a harsh winter and reform their economies.

The meeting has taken on major symbolic importance as a sign of the West’s commitment to help the newly autonomous nations survive.

Secretary of State James A. Baker III insists the meeting isn’t a “pledging session” aimed at extracting promises of new aid. But officials say they expect several countries to announce modest amounts of additional aid.