Russia Bristles at Remarks by IMF Officials

Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny M. Primakov, in unusually frank remarks, said Saturday that he is irritated at being lectured on how to run his economy by unworldly “kids” from the International Monetary Fund.

But he conceded that Russia is ready to comply with tough loan conditions and warned the IMF, whose managing director is due in Moscow this week, that he would have no option but to print more rubles if it refuses to hand over credits it has held back.

In televised remarks during a visit to the southwestern city of Belgorod, Primakov--who was appointed premier by President Boris N. Yeltsin in September after state finances collapsed and the ruble crashed--said the printing of more money and state planning are needed. But he pledged to keep inflation under control and safeguard market freedoms.

“It irritates me . . . when delegations come in made up of young kids who’ve seen almost nothing in life but have read a lot of books . . . and who, without knowing our situation, start to dictate or recommend some kind of development plans,” Primakov said. “But we are obliged now to act in our own fashion but also to listen.”

The 69-year-old former foreign minister rarely uses such undiplomatic language.

It was an indication of how much he is vexed by criticism from the West that measures to tighten state economic controls and relieve a shortage of liquidity amount to a reversal of market reforms and risk reigniting rampant inflation.

Primakov said his government is prepared to comply with conditions set by the IMF for the resumption of economic aid. He also said he hopes to reach an agreement soon with IMF chief Michel Camdessus, the Interfax news agency reported.

The IMF has insisted on seeing a sound economic program by the Russian government--and signs that it has been implemented--before releasing any more of the $22.6-billion aid package that has been frozen since August.