CANBERRA, Mar 2: The Australian Wheat Board (AWB) Tuesday rejected talk of a two mllllon-tonnc grain deal with Russia, saying that the Russians had yet lo show they could come UP with the money. reports AFI’.

An AWB spokesman said that talk of the Russians wanting to buy Australian wheat Kid been In the market for the past month

"It was half a million lo one million tonnes, now Its two million tonnes t*ats the record," he said.

In Washington overnight, the Chairman of Russia s Grain Procurement Commission. Leonid Cheshlnsky said his country was in the process of buying five million tonnes of grain from the European Community and Iwo million tonnes from Australia.

Bui the AWB spokesman said there was no deal.

Russia was already 50 mil -Ifon US dollar in default on credit payments for Australian wheal shipped tn 1991 and it was extremely unlikely there would be further sales of grain in the near future, the spokesman said.

Russia has a total of 500 million Australian dollar (351 million US) in debts with Australian for credit lines extended to pay for wool and wheat.