Voice of America 4/29/97
BRAZIL / CHEMICAL WEAPONS
BYLINE=GEORGE MEEK DATELINE=LIMA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: BRAZIL HAS WELCOMED THE ENTRY INTO FORCE TODAY (TUESDAY) OF THE TREATY BANNING CHEMICAL WEAPONS, AND SAYS LATIN AMERICA SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD IN THIS REGARD. WE HAVE DETAILS FROM V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT GEORGE MEEK IN RIO DE JANEIRO. TEXT: BRAZIL IS ONE OF THE 76 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE RATIFIED THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS BAN TREATY, AND WILL BE A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF THOSE WEAPONS, WITH HEADQUARTERS IN THE HAGUE. BRAZIL'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS THE TREATY CAN SERVE AS A MODEL FOR THE CURRENT DEBATE ON STRENGTHENING THE 1972 TREATY BANNING BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, AND FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS FOR PROHIBITION AND DESTRUCTION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. THE TREATY COMMITS THE COUNTRIES TO DESTROY THE WORLD ARSENAL OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN TEN YEARS. BRAZIL SAYS THE PACT IS UNIVERSAL, NONDISCRIMINATORY, AND READILY VERIFIABLE. BRAZIL SAYS IT HAS NEVER PRODUCED OR ATTEMPTED TO PRODUCE CHEMICAL WEAPONS. IN 1991, TWO YEARS BEFORE THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS TREATY WAS SIGNED, BRAZIL JOINED WITH ARGENTINA AND CHILE IN THE DECLARATION OF MENDOZA. THEY PLEDGED NOT TO PRODUCE, BUY, STOCK, USE, OR TRANSFER CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS. FOUR OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS -- BOLIVIA, ECUADOR, PARAGUAY, AND URUGUAY -- SIGNED THE DECLARATION LATER. BRAZIL SAYS LATIN AMERICA PIONEERED IN BANNING CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, AS IT DID IN THE CASE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS, WITH THE TREATY OF TLATELOLCO. BRAZIL HOPES THE NEW TREATY WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO IMPORT SENSITIVE CHEMICALS THAT WILL BE CONTROLLED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS. (SIGNED) NEB/GM/ENE/PT 29-Apr-97 5:39 PM EDT (2139 UTC) NNNN
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