DATE=3/7/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-227766 TITLE=IRAN/UKRAINE/BELARUS (L) BYLINE=AL PESSIN DATELINE=CAIRO CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: IRAN HAS SHARPLY CRITICIZED UKRAINE FOR CANCELLING A NUCLEAR COOPERATION DEAL UNDER U-S PRESSURE ON FRIDAY, AND IS ALREADY COURTING ANOTHER POTENTIAL SOURCE OF SUCH TECHNOLOGY -- BELARUS. V-O-A'S AL PESSIN REPORTS FROM OUR MIDDLE EAST BUREAU IN CAIRO. TEXT: SHORTLY AFTER U-S OFFICIALS VISITING KIEV HAILED UKRAINE'S DECISION FRIDAY, THE LEADER OF ANOTHER FORMER SOVIET REPUBLIC LANDED IN TEHRAN AND PROCLAIMED HE "WILL NOT BE DOMINATED BY ANY FOREIGN POWER." THOSE WERE THE WORDS OF BELARUS PRESIDENT ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO, WHO MET WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD KHATAMI ON SATURDAY FOR WHAT THE BELARUS LEADER DESCRIBED AS TALKS "WITH NO RESTRICTIONS." HIS IRANIAN COUNTERPART SAID THE TALKS WOULD INCLUDE "ECONOMIC AND SCIENTIFIC" COOPERATION, WHICH COULD INCLUDE THE PLANNED IRANIAN NUCLEAR POWER STATION UKRAINE WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP BUILD, ALONG WITH RUSSIA. UKRAINE CANCELLED ITS PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT IN RESPONSE TO U-S FEARS IRAN MIGHT USE THE TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS, BUT RUSSIA HAS RESISTED SIMILAR PRESSURE. //OPT// THE UKRAINIAN ANNOUNCEMENT CAME DURING A VISIT TO KIEV FRIDAY BY U-S SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH A U-S / UKRAINE NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT. //END OPT// THE UNITED STATES SAYS BELARUS ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO BUILD NUCLEAR WEAPONS, AND SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, INCLUDING ISRAEL AND THE GULF STATES, HAVE JOINED U-S LEADERS IN EXPRESSING CONCERNS THAT IRAN IS SEEKING THE SAME CAPABILITY. IRAN SAYS IT HAS NO SUCH INTENTION. MEANWHILE, A COMMENTARY ON IRANIAN RADIO BLASTED UKRAINE FOR BACKING OUT OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECT. THE RADIO COMMENTARY, WHICH ORDINARILY REFLECTS THE THINKING OF SENIOR OFFICIALS, SAYS UKRAINE LOST ITS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CREDIBILITY, THAT ITS LEADERS WERE "HUMILIATED" BY U-S PRESSURE AND THAT IT WILL BE A LONG TIME BEFORE UKRAINE'S RELATIONS WITH IRAN CAN BE REPAIRED. (SIGNED) NEB/AWP/DW/KL 07-Mar-98 11:08 AM EST (1608 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
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