DATE=11/12/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-241595
TITLE=TALBOTT/SOUTH ASIA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON D.C.
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A TOP U-S DIPLOMAT SAYS THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS ON
REDUCING TENSIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN OVER THE PAST SIX
MONTHS. AS VOA'S JIM TEEPLE REPORTS, THE OFFICIAL SAYS WHILE
THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS, BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN NEED TO DO MORE.
TEXT: U-S DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE STROBE TALBOTT SAYS HE HAS
HELD MORE THAN A DOZEN SEPARATE ROUNDS OF TALKS WITH SENIOR
OFFICIALS OF PAKISTAN AND INDIA SINCE BOTH COUNTRIES TESTED
NUCLEAR DEVICES IN MAY.
SPEAKING AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, A PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH
INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON, MR. TALBOTT SAYS HIS SIX MONTHS OF
DIPLOMACY HAVE HAD THREE GOALS; TO PREVENT AN ESCALATION OF
NUCLEAR COMPETITION IN THE REGION, TO STRENGTHEN GLOBAL NUCLEAR
NON-PROLIFERATION AND TO PROMOTE A DIALOGUE BETWEEN INDIA AND
PAKISTAN.
MR. TALBOTT SAYS HE HAS SEEN PROGRESS OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN, HE SAYS, HAVE SO FAR AGREED TO A
MORATORIUM ON FURTHER TESTING AND BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE TAKEN STEPS
TOWARDS HALTING THE PRODUCTION OF FISSILE, OR WEAPONS GRADE
MATERIAL. THE SENIOR U-S DIPLOMAT SAYS IT IS ALSO ENCOURAGING
THAT INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE RESUMED HIGH-LEVEL TALKS.
// TALBOTT ACT //
THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT KASHMIR; THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT
CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES, ABOUT BETTER
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN CIVILIAN AND MILITARY EXPERTS,
ABOUT BUS LINES ACROSS THE BORDER, ABOUT TRADING IN
ENERGY.
// END ACT //
ALSO ENCOURAGING SAYS MR. TALBOTT ARE SIGNS THAT BOTH COUNTRIES
SEEM TO BE IN AGREEMENT ON ADHERING TO MOST OF THE STANDARDS SET
OUT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY KNOWN AS THE C-T-B-T.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL SAYS WHILE THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS
IN THAT DIRECTION THERE HAS BEEN LESS PROGRESS IN GETTING ANY
COMMITMENT FROM PAKISTAN OR INDIA TO AGREE TO SIGN THE NUCLEAR
NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY, THE N-P-T. HE SAYS BOTH COUNTRIES
SHOULD UNDERSTAND GLOBAL RESOLVE ON THAT ISSUE.
// 2ND TALBOTT ACT //
WE DO NOT, AND WILL NOT, CONCEDE, EVEN BY IMPLICATION,
THAT INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATES UNDER THE N-P-T. UNLESS AND
UNTIL THEY DISAVOW NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND ACCEPT SAFEGUARDS
ON ALL THEIR NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO
FORFEIT THE FULL RECOGNITION AND BENEFITS THAT ACCRUE TO
MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING OF THE N-P-T.
// END ACT //
MR. TALBOTT SAYS BOTH COUNTRIES CAN AND SHOULD DO MORE TO EASE
TENSIONS IN THE REGION -- ALSO NOTING THAT INDIA AND CHINA
SHOULD BEGIN AN IMMEDIATE DIALOGUE ABOUT THEIR LONG TERM SECURITY
INTERESTS.
///REST OPT///
THE OFFICIAL SAYS THE UNITED STATES AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES
RECOGNIZE THAT INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE LEGITIMATE SECURITY
INTERESTS. BUT TOO OFTEN, HE SAYS, THOSE SECURITY INTERESTS ARE
OVERSHADOWED BY ANIMOSITY AND DISTRUST.
// TALBOTT ACT //
NO AMOUNT OF DIPLOMATIC EXERTION ON OUR PART ON
NON-PROLIFERATION OR ANY OTHER SUBJECT, WILL HAVE MUCH
EFFECT UNLESS AND UNTIL INDIA AND PAKISTAN CAN LIBERATE
THEMSELVES FROM THEIR OWN ENMITY.
// END ACT //
STROBE TALBOTT SAYS THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES ARE
COMMITTED TO AT LEAST EASING IF NOT ENDING THAT ENMITY. HE ADDED
THAT IN EVERY DISCUSSION HE HAS WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON, NO MATTER
WHAT THE TOPIC IS, MR. CLINTON ALWAYS ASKS HOW DISCUSSIONS WITH
INDIA AND PAKISTAN ARE PROCEEDING. (SIGNED)
NEB/JLT/WFR
12-Nov-98 5:44 PM EST (2244 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
