DATE=3/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON-SOUTH ASIA (L)
NUMBER=2-260265
BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton will address the people of
Pakistan by television when he visits Islamabad March
25th to stress U-S support for a return to democracy
there. He makes a brief stop in Pakistan at the close
of the South Asia trip that he begins Saturday, which
will also take him to India and Bangladesh. V-O-A's
David Gollust reports from the White House.
TEXT: The stop in Pakistan is the most controversial
element of Mr. Clinton's trip because of the military
coup there last October. The President will meet with
military leader General Pervez Musharraf as part of
what the White House calls a "sensible" decision to
keep lines of communications open with Pakistan. But
according to National Security Adviser Sandy Berger,
Mr. Clinton will also deliver an unusual live
television message to Pakistanis to express U-S
concerns about developments in that country, including
the overthrow of democratic rule:
/// BERGER ACTUALITY ///
He will talk about the long relationship that
the United States has had with the people of
Pakistan, our high regard for the people of
Pakistan, but our concerns about things that are
happening in Pakistan. Because we're concerned
about Pakistan's future. We're concerned about
its nuclear program, we're concerned about
tension across the line of control in Kashmir,
we're concerned about terrorism, we're concerned
about seeing a path back to democracy. And I
think the president will talk about all of those
things to the people of Pakistan with great
respect.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Clinton's Pakistan visit will last just a few
hours, and be in marked contrast to the five-day,
five-city tour of India that precedes it. U-S trade
with India has increased dramatically in recent years
following economic reforms in the country. And Mr.
Berger says the president wants to put political ties
with India on a sounder footing after a tense
relationship during the Cold War years, when India
often sided with the former Soviet Union.
However bilateral cooperation is limited by U-S
sanctions imposed because of India's nuclear weapons
program. Mr. Berger says the need to roll back the
nuclear programs of India and Pakistan will be a major
theme of the President's talks with leaders of both
South Asian powers:
/// BERGER ACTUALITY TWO ///
I think both countries have to ultimately
determine what is in their security interests. I
would argue that an escalating nuclear arms race
diverts resources badly need in both countries,
causes danger of conflict, and is a drag on
their realizing their full potential in the
international community. So for all three
reasons we think this is not a path that holds
out the promise of more security. I believe it
is a path that holds out the promise of less
security.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Berger says the president will urge both sides to
continue to refrain from actually deploying nuclear
weapons, and to solidify their commitments not to
further test such weapons by signing the Comprehensive
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. He said Mr. Clinton will also
urge leaders of the two countries to resume the
dialogue on Kashmir that began in a promising way with
last year's Lahore summit, but broke off after the
Pakistani coup.
Mr. Clinton's one-day visit to Bangladesh next Monday
will be the first ever to that country by a sitting U-
S President. He will meet Prime Minister Sheik Hasina
and opposition leader Khalida Zia - among others -- to
highlight what Mr. Berger says are the country's
impressive strides in combating poverty and building
an inclusive democracy. (Signed)
NEB/DAG/TVM/gm
16-Mar-2000 18:12 PM EDT (16-Mar-2000 2312 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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