Military

NATO SUMMIT

¨         The Czech Republic said on Tuesday autocratic Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko had applied for a visa to attend a NATO summit in Prague later this month, but it would be up to the government whether to grant it.   Belarus has voiced strong opposition to an expected expansion of the Western military alliance even though it is a member of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, which is associated with NATO.  The Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Reuters that Lukashenko and a Belarus delegation had applied for visas, but "it is up to the government to decide".   A decision may come as early as Wednesday, a ministry official added.(Reuters 1615 051102 Nov 02 GMT)

BALKANS

¨         Kosovo's prime minister warned the province could declare independence if the international community backs proposals to include Kosovo as part of Serbia under the constitution of a new union of Serbia and Montenegro. Bajram Rexhepi was responding to lawmakers and legal experts in Serbia and Montenegro who are drawing up a draft constitution and want to include a preamble stating that Kosovo remains part of Serbia. "We do believe the (European Union) will not accept this kind of preamble," Rexhepi told a news conference. "If accepted ... probably we will go to parliament to make a declaration about independence." Kosovo's international administrators fear a sudden declaration of independence by Kosovo could re-ignite tensions in the Balkans. They have advised the EU and other international players not to accept any clause in the constitution of the new Serbia-Montenegro entity that includes Kosovo as part of Serbia. "I'm confident the EU shares the view that whatever is written in the draft (constitution) does not affect the future of Kosovo, which in the end will be decided by the Security Council of the United Nations," said Michael Steiner, the UN special representative.(AP 052242 Nov 02 GMT)

¨         Britain's Foreign Secretary Straw began his Balkan tour Tuesday, stopping in Belgrade for talks with top officials about Yugoslavia's clandestine arms deals with Iraq. A British Foreign Office spokesman, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said Straw will raise "a number of  current issues, including arms sales to Iraq." Shortly before Straw's arrival, Prime Minister Djindjic said he would seek assurances from the British diplomat that the scandal would not hurt Yugoslavia's lucrative arms sales to countries that are not under a UN embargo. Straw is also set to meet Yugoslav President Kostunica and Foreign Minister, Svilanovic before traveling to the southern Yugoslav province of Kosovo.(AP052116 Nov 02 GMT)

U.S.-TURKEY

¨         The Bush administration is preparing a major military and economic aid package for Turkey a critical ally in any U.S. attack on Iraq, people involved in the deliberations said on Tuesday.  While it has yet to be finalized and could still be scrapped, congressional sources said the package may top $800 million -- divided between military and economic aid, which could come in the form of debt relief. Sources said it was unclear how elections in Turkey - and the United States -- would affect the aid packages. Turkey's new army chief of staff,  meets senior U.S. leaders in Washington this week.(Reuters 0058 061102 Nov 02 GMT)

IRAQ

¨         Germany' defense minister, preparing to visit Washington amid tensions over Iraq, on Tuesday discussed policy toward Baghdad with his British counterpart, who said military action is "neither inevitable nor imminent." The German minister, Peter Struck, plans to fly to Washington Friday. He said he hoped his scheduled meeting with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld would allow both men to overcome their "difficult first encounter" at a NATO meeting in September, when Rumsfeld pointedly avoided Struck. Struck touched on Iraq during a meeting Tuesday with Defense Secretary  Hoon. Hoon told reporters afterward that "military action in Iraq is neither inevitable nor imminent." Britain, he added, "is also committed to the United Nations process" of getting UN weapons inspectors back into Iraq. (AP 051945 Nov 02 GMT)

¨         The United States intends to introduce a revised resolution to the UN Security Council  on Wednesday that gives Iraq a "final opportunity" to comply with its disarmament obligations and leaves the door open for a military strike.  The new text, which Washington hopes will be adopted by the end of the week, offers a follow-up role to the 15-nation Security Council, as France had insisted.  But the draft, obtained by Reuters, still makes military action possible if UN arms inspectors report a serious violation in accounting for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. U.S. officials were fairly confident that France, which led resistance to original American proposals, would agree to the new text, although it falls short of Paris' earlier demands that only the council could authorize any use of force.  But a French diplomat said no decision would be made until President Chirac and Foreign Minister Villepin "can make an assessment of all of the text."(Reuters 0433 061102 Nov 02 GMT)

OTHER NEWS

¨         U.S. and British investigators were unable to determine whether Ukrainian officials transferred a radar system to Iraq in violation of the UN Security Council embargo, a senior official said. A report on the joint mission was delivered to Ukraine officials on Tuesday in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. The senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S.-British team received mixed cooperation from the Ukrainians. He reaffirmed that the United States believes Ukraine's president, Leonid Kuchma, approved the transfer in 2000. Ukrainian officials have denied any sale was made, and Kuchma has denied approving one. The Ukrainian government would not comment on the U.S.-British report. "The report will be analyzed and studied in detail, and we will make a decision on further interaction with the American and British sides," Kuchma's spokeswoman, Olena Hromnytska, said. As evidence of Kuchma's role, the State Department said it verified the authenticity of a 2-year-old recording in which Kuchma allegedly is heard approving the $100 million sale. The issue has badly harmed U.S. relations with the Ukrainian government. Ukraine is the fourth-largest recipient of U.S. aid, receiving some $230 million annually.(AP 060136 Nov 02 GMT)