Voice of America 5/13/97
COHEN / RODIONOV
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: RUSSIA'S DEFENSE MINISTER
SAYS NEWS REPORTS THAT RUSSIA'S
NUCLEAR FORCES ARE IN DISARRAY
AND AT TIMES HAVE ACCIDENTALLY
MOVED CLOSER TO LAUNCHING ARE
WRONG AND IRRESPONSIBLE. MINISTER
IGOR RODIONOV'S COMMENTS CAME
DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE WITH
(U-S) DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM
COHEN AT THE PENTAGON -- AFTER THE
TWO MEN HELD PRIVATE TALKS.
V-O-A'S JIM RANDLE REPORTS, THE
RUSSIANS AND AMERICANS 'AGREED TO
DISAGREE' ON PLANS TO EXPAND THE NATO
ALLIANCE EASTWARD TOWARD RUSSIA.
TEXT: QUESTIONS ABOUT RUSSIA'S
NUCLEAR FORCES STEMMED FROM A
WASHINGTON TIMES NEWSPAPER STORY,
REPORTEDLY BASED ON A C-I-A REPORT,
THAT RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR MISSILES HAVE
ACCIDENTALLY SLIPPED CLOSER TO
LAUNCH ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.
RUSSIA'S DEFENSE MINISTER, IGOR
RODIONOV, SAYS HE MONITORS THE
NUCLEAR SAFETY SYSTEMS 24 HOURS
A DAY, AND HE HAS NEVER HEARD OF
SUCH A THING. HE SPOKE TO REPORTERS
THROUGH A TRANSLATOR.
/// RODIONOV ACT ///
SOMETIMES IN OUR PRESS, WE ALSO
HAVE STATEMENTS OF SOME IRRESPONSIBLE
INDIVIDUAL, WHICH TRY TO HEAT THE PUBLIC
OPINION. (RODIONOV'S RUSSIAN CAN BE
HEARD HERE; THEN THE TRANSLATOR AGAIN)
YES, WE DO EXPERIENCE SOME SHORTAGES
IN FUNDING IN OUR ARMED FORCES, BUT THE
STRATEGIC NUCLEAR FORCES HAVE THE SAME
LEVEL OF FUNDING AS THEY USED TO HAVE.
/// END ACT //
MR. RODIONOV AND DEFENSE SECRETARY
WILLIAM COHEN SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT
INCREASING MILITARY COOPERATION.
THEY ANNOUNCED A NEW CONTRACT TO
HAVE AN AMERICAN COMPANY USE
RUSSIAN WORKERS TO SAFELY GET RID
OF HUNDREDS OF DECOMMISSIONED
RUSSIAN MISSILES AND THOUSANDS OF
TONS OF SOLID ROCKET FUEL.
THE GROWING COOPERATION DID NOT
EXTEND TO NATO. ALLIANCE PLANS TO
MOVE EASTWARD BY ADDING NEW MEMBERS
CLOSER TO RUSSIA HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF
TENSION BETWEEN MOSCOW AND WASHINGTON.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE COHEN INDICATED
THERE WAS LITTLE PROGRESS IN RESOLVING
THAT PROBLEM.
/// COHEN ACT ///
YES, WE DISCUSSED IT, AND AS THE MINISTER
SAID, WE AGREED; WE AGREED TO DISAGREE.
/// END ACT ///
ASKED ABOUT ANOTHER AGREEMENT, THE
"START TWO" PACT TO REDUCE NUCLEAR
WEAPONS ON BOTH SIDES, MR. RODIONOV
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE ONCE OPPOSED
THE PACT, BUT SAID HE NOW THINKS IT IS A
GOOD IDEA.
(SIGNED)
NEB/JR/RRM
13-May-97 2:08 PM EDT (1808 UTC)
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