DATE= 9/26/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-220485
TITLE=U-S - RUSSIA / ARMS AGREEMENTS (L)
BYLINE=MAX RUSTON
DATELINE=NEW YORK
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA SIGNED A SERIES OF ARMS
AGREEMENTS TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT COULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT
REDUCTIONS IN STRATEGIC NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE NEXT CENTURY.
V-O-A'S MAX RUSTON REPORTS THE AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED IN NEW YORK
BY U-S SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN
MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV.
TEXT: AMONG THE ISSUES COVERED IN THE AGREEMENTS ARE THE
IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR THE START-TWO STRATEGIC ARMS
REDUCTION TREATY AND A SERIES OF CLARIFICATIONS FOR THE 1972
ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY. THE AGREEMENTS EXTEND THE TIME
PERIOD FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF START-TWO UNTIL TWO-THOUSAND-SEVEN.
U-S OFFICIALS SAY THIS IS INTENDED TO EASE RUSSIA'S CONCERNS OVER
THE COST OF DISMANTLING ITS NUCLEAR WEAPONS SYSTEMS. AGREEMENTS
CONCERNING THE ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY ARE DESIGNED TO
CLARIFY DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN STRATEGIC AND THEATER BALLISTIC
MISSILES.
FOREIGN MINISTERS FROM THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS OF UKRAINE,
KAZAHKSTAN AND BELARUS JOINED THE U-S SECRETARY OF STATE AND
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN SIGNING THE AGREEMENTS.
AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY, MS. ALBRIGHT SAID SHE HOPED THE
AGREEMENTS WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR RUSSIA TO RATIFY THE
START-TWO TREATY.
/// ALBRIGHT ACT ///
TOGETHER, THE A-B-M AND START-TWO DOCUMENTS WE WILL SIGN
HERE TODAY SHOULD PAVE THE WAY FOR THE RUSSIAN DUMA
(PARLIAMENT) TO RATIFY START-TWO AND THAT WILL TRIGGER
DEEP REDUCTIONS IN OUR ARSENALS.
/// END ACT ///
THE START-TWO TREATY WAS SIGNED IN 1993 AND RATIFIED BY THE U-S
SENATE IN 1996. IF IT IS RATIFIED BY RUSSIA, START-TWO COULD CUT
U-S AND RUSSIAN LONG-RANGE NUCLEAR ARSENALS BY UP TO TWO-THIRDS.
RUSSIAN OFFICIALS SAY RATIFICATION BY THE RUSSIAN DUMA REMAINS A
DIFFICULT ISSUE. BUT THEY HAVE INDICATED THE LATEST AGREEMENTS
SHOULD MOVE THAT PROCESS FORWARD.
SPEAKING AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY, UKRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
HENNADIY UDOVENKO WARNED THAT MANY DISAGREEMENTS REMAIN TO BE
RESOLVED, PARTICULARLY IN CLARIFYING ISSUES CONCERNING THE
ANTI-BILLISTIC MISSILE TREATY AND THE SYSTEM OF THEATER BALLISTIC
MISSILE DEFENSES, OR T-M-D.
/// UDOVENKO ACT ///
THE PACKAGE OF DOCUMENTS WE ARE SIGNING TODAY DOES NOT
REMOVE ALL THE PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE DEMARCATION
BETWEEN THE A-B-M AND T-M-D SYSTEMS.
/// END ACT //
U-S OFFICIALS SAY THE SIGNING OF THE LATEST AGREEMENTS IS A KEY
STEP TOWARDS FINALIZING PACTS REACHED AT A SUMMIT IN MARCH THIS
YEAR IN HELSINKI BETWEEN PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND RUSSIAN
LEADER BORIS YELTSIN. (SIGNED)
NEB/NY/MPR/PT
26-Sep-97 7:09 PM EDT (2309 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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