DATE=12/3/97 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-223602 TITLE=RUSSIA / MILITARY (L) BYLINE=MICHELE KELEMEN DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN SAYS HIS COUNTRY IS READY TO CUT GROUND AND NAVAL FORCES BY 40 PERCENT. V-O-A'S MICHELE KELEMEN IN MOSCOW REPORTS THIS WAS MR. YELTSIN'S SECOND STARTLING ANNOUNCEMENT DURING HIS VISIT TO SWEDEN. AND THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT'S AIDES HAVE BEEN BUSY EXPLAINING WHAT HE MEANT. TEXT: PRESIDENT YELTSIN SEEMS TO BE FULL OF SURPRISES ON HIS VISIT TO SWEDEN. DURING HIS SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT IN STOCKHOLM WEDNESDAY, HE ANNOUNCED RUSSIA WILL UNILATERALLY REDUCE ITS LAND AND NAVAL FORCES BY 40 PERCENT IN 1999 MAINLY IN THE NORTHWESTERN REGION OF RUSSIA. HE SAID IT WILL BE DIFFICULT AND THERE MAY BE PROBLEMS BUT RUSSIA WILL SOLVE THEM. THE ANNOUNCEMENT DREW BIG APPLAUSE IN PARLIAMENT. REUTER NEWS AGENCY REPORTS RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV LATER EXPLAINED THE 40 PERCENT TROOP CUT PROPOSAL WILL BE LIMITED TO THE NORTHWESTERN REGION OF RUSSIA. THE PROPOSAL APPEARS TO BE AIMED AT REDUCING TENSIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE BALTIC COUNTRIES. RUSSIA HAS OFFERED SECURITY GUARANTEES TO LITHUANIA, LATVIA AND ESTONIA IF THEY STAY OUT OF NATO, BUT ALL THREE HAVE REJECTED THE OFFER. IN HIS SPEECH WEDNESDAY, PRESIDENT YELTSIN APPEALED FOR WHAT HE CALLS A NEW REGIME OF TRUST IN THE BALTIC REGION. HE SUGGESTED SETTING UP MILITARY HOTLINES AND HOLDING JOINT EXERCISES. THE COMMENTS COME ONE DAY AFTER ANOTHER SURPRISING INITIATIVE FROM THE RUSSIAN LEADER. DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE TUESDAY, PRESIDENT YELTSIN SAID RUSSIA IS READY TO REDUCE ITS NUCLEAR ARSENAL BY ONE-THIRD. BUT, A KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DOWNPLAYED THE APPARENTLY IMPROMPTU REMARKS, SAYING IT IS AN IDEA, BUT IT IS NOT YET ON THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. HE SAID THE RUSSIAN LEADER WAS TIRED WHEN HE MADE THE STATEMENT. FOREIGN MINISTER PRIMAKOV ADDED THE RUSSIAN LEADER WAS ONLY REITERATING RUSSIA'S DESIRE TO AGREE WITH THE UNITED STATES ON MORE CUTS IN NUCLEAR WEAPONS. (SIGNED) NEB/MLK/JWH 03-Dec-97 10:35 AM EST (1535 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
