With Russia's economy in tatters, Europe frets over investments
ALSO:
Large, detailed map of Europe (224K)

(CNN) -- European leaders, some worried that Russia's sick economy might infect their own countries, were hopeful Monday that President Boris Yeltsin's Cabinet reshuffle could overcome Russia's faltering financial state.

Yeltsin appealed to Russians for support after firing Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko and summoning back former premier Viktor Chernomyrdin. A Kremlin official said economic reforms, closely monitored by Western creditors, would stay on course but predicted "serious changes" in their implementation.

Yeltsin threw out Kiriyenko's four-month-old government Sunday and asked parliament Monday to confirm Chernomyrdin as prime minister in a bid to restore stability to financial markets.

The decision after months of economic turmoil and a plunge in the ruble's value came nonetheless as a surprise to European leaders, many of whom have been pressing Russia for stringent economic reforms.

Yeltsin names Chernomyrdin his possible successor in the 2000 elections Monday in Moscow

Here's a sampling of reaction:

• Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl and several of his Cabinet ministers expressed confidence that Chernomyrdin could elicit the support to carry out economic reforms, which German officials said was pivotal in winning back the confidence of international investors.

  A government spokesman quoted Kohl as saying he valued Chernomyrdin as someone the Germany government "knows well and respects."

  Economics Minister Gunter Rexrodt said that despite Russia's heavy debt to German banks, "the political and economic turbulence in Russia does not endanger the German economy."

• Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma said it was "impossible not to be worried" by the developments in Russia where a "strong and stable government" was needed.

  Russia's slide into financial chaos has left millions of workers without wages for months

• Poland Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek welcomed Chernomyrdin's reappointment, but his finance minister, Leszek Balcerowicz, said Poland should prepare for spillover from the Russian economic crisis.

• France Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine urged the West to keep cool and continue supporting Yeltsin. "Over the medium- and long-term, (Russia) is on a path towards construction and reconstruction and deserves our continued confidence," he said. He criticized over-reaction to political events, "the way stock markets do, based on rumors."

• Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev said Chernomyrdin's return to power signaled that at least the situation in Russia "will not be worse." It had been a mistake to sack the premier in the first place, Nazarbayev said.

• Hungary "Everything that happens in Moscow has a big impact on the Hungarian economy," said Prime Minister Viktor Orban during a visit to Poland. "But the news (of the reshuffle) is so recent that it is difficult to reach any conclusions."

Reporter Matthew Chance and Reuters contributed to this report.

"America, Russia and the Cold War: 1945-1996" by Walter LaFeber "Retreating from the Cold War: Germany, Russia, & the Withdrawal of the Western Group of Forces" by David Cox "Open for Business: Russia's Return to the Global Economy" by Edward A. Hewett,Clifford G. Gaddy "Local Heroes: The Political Economy of Russian Regional Governance" by Kathryn Stoner-Weiss Click here for additional reading on Russia economy