June 1, 1991

President Bush said today after meeting a high-level Soviet economic delegation that he felt Moscow was really moving down the path of radical economic reform and therefore he was "feeling more positive" about the question of aiding President Mikhail S. Gorbachev. Speaking after meeting for nearly an hour with the Soviet team headed by the Gorbachev adviser Yevgeny M. Primakov, Mr. Bush said: "I had the impression that they are undertaking what for them is, and what the world will see as, radical economic reform. When you've had a totally controlled economy, to try to move to a market economy, it's not easy. You need help along the way."

Posting a third straight advance, the Government's main economic forecasting gauge signaled today that the 10-month-old recession would soon be over. "The end is imminent," said Maury N. Harris, chief economist at Paine Webber Inc. "We're going to have a summer recovery."

The New York City Council Speaker, Peter F. Vallone, proposed yesterday to require financial background checks by Council investigators for members being considered to head committees or for other posts that carry extra pay. The reviews by the Council's staff and leadership would mirror those already conducted by the Council on mayoral nominees to various boards and commissions. They would include checking the credit of appointees, verifying their resumes and assuring that they live in their districts, paid their taxes and properly filed tax returns and all required financial disclosure and campaign finance forms, paid parking tickets and registered their cars.

The Government of Angola and the rebel faction that it has battled for 16 years signed a long-awaited peace agreement today aimed at ending civil war and preparing the ravaged southern African nation for free elections and democracy. An official cease-fire went into effect after the accord was signed here tonight by Angola's President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, and Jonas Savimbi, the longtime leader of the rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, or Unita. An informal truce declared by the two sides on May 15 appears largely to be holding.

Medicare officials today announced details of a new nationwide fee schedule under which family doctors and general practitioners would get much less of an increase than had been expected. For some services, the doctors said, their reimbursement for treating Medicare beneficiaries might actually decrease.