• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=1/22/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-244508
TITLE=RUSSIA FOREIGN AFFAIRS (L)
  BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:   RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS DESPITE WORSENING 
U-S/RUSSIAN RELATIONS LAST YEAR, HE HOPES FOR IMPROVED RELATIONS 
IN 1999.  AS V-O-A'S EVE CONANT REPORTS FROM MOSCOW, THE FOREIGN 
MINISTER SAYS WHILE RUSSIA WILL OPPOSE ANY PLANS BY THE UNITED 
STATES TO AMEND NUCLEAR TREATIES WITH RUSSIA, BILATERAL RELATIONS
ARE  NOT  IN JEOPARDY. 
TEXT:  JUST DAYS BEFORE SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT IS 
DUE IN MOSCOW, RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV STRESSED THE
NEED FOR THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA TO COOPERATE AS EQUALS IN 
FINDING DIPLOMATIC SOLUTIONS TO CONFLICTS, SUCH AS IN KOSOVO AND 
IRAQ. 
           ///ACT IVANOV IN RUSSIAN AND FADE UNDER///
HE SAYS, "ONLY THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL CAN SANCTION 
THE USE OF FORCE, AND ANY ATTEMPT TO EVADE THE SECURITY COUNCIL 
CAN BRING CHAOS INTO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS."
DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN STRAINED SINCE  
IT BOMBED IRAQ. 
MR. IVANOV RESPONDED WITH A BLUNT, "NO," WHEN ASKED IF RUSSIA 
WILL APPROVE ANY AMENDMENTS TO THE 1972 ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE 
TREATY, WHICH BANS THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA FROM DEVELOPING 
DEFENSES AGAINST A NUCLEAR ATTACK. THE UNITED STATES HAS SAID IT 
WANTS TO AMEND THE TREATY SO IT CAN BUILD A SYSTEM OF 
GROUND-BASED MISSILES. RUSSIAN NEWSPAPERS REPORTED FRIDAY THAT 
CHANGING THE TREATY WOULD AMOUNT TO DECLARING A NEW ARMS RACE.
THE FOREIGN MINISTER ALSO HARSHLY CRITICIZED U-S SANCTIONS ON 
THREE RUSSIAN INSTITUTIONS ACCUSED OF PASSING NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY 
TO IRAN. 
       ///SECOND IVANOV ACT IN RUSSIAN, AND FADE UNDER/// 
MR. IVANOV SAYS, "WE ARE OPPOSED TO A POLICY OF SANCTIONS, AND TO
A POLICY OF ISOLATION AND ARTIFICIAL RESTRAINTS ON GOVERNMENTS. 
THAT IS WHY PEACEFUL COOPERATION WITH IRAN WILL CONTINUE, KEEPING
IN LINE WITH A STRICT NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME."
THE FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS RUSSIA IS ASSIGNING HIGH PRIORITY TO 
WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS THE "VERY THOROUGH AND VERY SERIOUS" TALKS 
WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, BEGINNING NEXT WEEK 
IN MOSCOW. (SIGNED) 
NEB/EC/PCF/GE
22-Jan-99 9:45 AM EST (1445 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.