DATE=9/24/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-239211
TITLE=U-S/SOUTH ASIA NUCLEAR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: HERE IN WASHINGTON, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS
WELCOMED THE STATED WILLINGNESS OF THE LEADERS OF INDIA AND
PAKISTAN TO SIGN THE NUCLEAT TEST BAN TREATY. A DECISION IS
EXPECTED SOON ON WHETHER MR. CLINTON WILL VISIT SOUTH ASIA IN
NOVEMBER. V-O-A'S DAVID GOLLUST HAS DETAILS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
TEXT: THE NUCLEAR COMPETITION IN SOUTH ASIA HAS BEEN A MAJOR
WORRY FOR CLINTON ADMINISTRATION POLICY MAKERS. AND THE WHITE
HOUSE HAS WARMLY WELCOMED THE NEW YORK STATEMENTS BY BOTH THE
PAKISTANI AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTERS THAT THEIR GOVERNMENTS ARE
PREPARED TO SIGN THE GLOBAL TEST BAN TREATY NEXT YEAR. WORD OF
INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE'S ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE
U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY CAME AS WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN MIKE MCURRY
WAS BRIEFING REPORTERS HERE:
///MCCURRY ACTUALITY///
CERTAINLY IF THAT REPORT BEARS OUT, WE WOULD WELCOME
THAT JUST AS WE WELCOME THE STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER
SHARIF. WE'RE GOING TO WORK HARD SO THAT BOTH
GOVERNMENTS UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT -- THE POSITIVE
EFFECT -- THAT ADHERENCE TO A COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN
REGIME WOULD HAVE IN THE REGION.
/// END ACT ///
PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF ANNOUNCED HIS GOVERNMENT'S
READINESS TO SIGN THE TREATY IN A U-N SPEECH WEDNESDAY, SAYING
ALSO THAT HE EXPECTS THE LIFTING OF THE SANCTIONS IMPOSED AGAINST
PAKISTAN BECAUSE OF ITS NUCLEAR TEST SERIES LAST MAY.
SWEEPING U-S ECONOMIC SANCTIONS MANDATED BY CONGRESS TOOK EFFECT
AGAINST BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN AFTER THEY EACH CONDUCTED
MULTIPLE TESTS WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF EACH OTHER IN LATE MAY.
AT A BILATERAL NEW YORK MEETING ON MONDAY, PRESIDENT CLINTON TOLD
MR. SHARIF HE WOULD SUPPORT A LIFTING OF SANCTIONS IN PRINCIPLE
BUT THAT HE COULD MAKE NO FIRM COMMITMENT WITH ENABLING
LEGISLATION JUST BEGINNING TO WORK ITS WAY THROUGH CONGRESS.
AFTER THE SOUTH ASIAN TESTS, PRESIDENT CLINTON SUSPENDED PLANNING
FOR A VISIT TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN NOVEMBER. WHITE HOUSE
OFFICIALS SAY THEY NOW EXPECT A DECISION ON TRIP PLANS TO BE MADE
BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.
///REST OPTIONAL///
THE WHITE HOUSE COUPLED ITS REMARKS ON THE SOUTH ASIAN NUCLEAR
ISSUE WITH A RENEWED CALL ON THE U-S SENATE TO RATIFY -- AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE NEXT YEAR -- THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY WHICH
MR. CLINTON SIGNED TWO YEARS AGO.
IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, MR. CLINTON CONTRASTED SENATE INACTION ON
THE TREATY TO ITS SWIFT RATIFICATION OF THE 1963 TREATY BANNING
ATMOSPHERIC NUCLEAR TESTS -- WHICH WAS APPROVED LESS THAT TWO
MONTHS AFTER IT WAS SIGNED BY PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY.
MR. CLINTON SAID THE TREATY WILL BE A POWERFUL TOOL IN THE FIGHT
AGAINST WEAPONS PROLIFERATION AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
THAT SENATE APPROVAL IS "THE RIGHT THING TO DO." (SIGNED)
NEB/DAG/PT
24-Sep-98 4:57 PM EDT (2057 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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