DATE=6/19/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250869
TITLE=CLINTON / YELTSIN (L-ONITER)
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=COLOGNE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
// CLINTON-YELTSIN MEETING SKEDDED FOR 7AM E-D-T //
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON MEETS LATER TODAY (SUNDAY) WITH HIS
RUSSIAN COUNTERPART, BORIS YELTSIN ON THE SIDELINES OF AN
ECONOMIC SUMMIT IN COLOGNE, GERMANY. U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY HOPE
THE MEETING WILL PUT BILATERAL RELATIONS BACK ON TRACK AFTER
BEING STRAINED OVER KOSOVO. V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT DEBORAH TATE
REPORTS.
TEXT: U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE U-S - RUSSIAN
RELATIONS MOVE BEYOND THE TENSIONS OVER KOSOVO. MOSCOW WAS
ANGERED BY NATO'S 11-WEEK BOMBING CAMPAIGN OVER YUGOSLAVIA, AND
WASHINGTON WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENTRY OF RUSSIAN TROOPS INTO
KOSOVO AHEAD OF NATO PEACEKEEPERS EARLIER THIS MONTH - DESPITE
RUSSIAN ASSURANCES THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. BUT U-S OFFICIALS SAY
THEY ARE READY TO PUT THE MATTER BEHIND THEM, ARGUING THAT THE
FUTURE OF RUSSIA IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF
THE WEST.
U-S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SANDY BERGER:
// BERGER ACTUALITY //
IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE WHETHER RUSSIA IS ABLE TO
STRENGTHEN ITS ECONOMY, MAINTAIN ITS DEMOCRACY AND
CONTINUE TO HEAD IN THE BASIC DIRECTION OF OPENNESS AND
REFORM, OR WHETHER IT REVERTS BACK TO SOME KIND OF
NATIONALISTIC OR INWARD-LOOKING LEADERSHIP.
// END ACT //
THE MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO LEADERS COMES JUST TWO DAYS AFTER U-S
AND RUSSIAN DEFENSE AND FOREIGN MINISTERS CAME TO AGREEMENT ON
THE ROLE OF RUSSIAN TROOPS IN A NATO-LED PEACEKEEPING FORCE. THE
PRESIDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO REVIEW DETAILS OF THE DEAL.
ON THE EVE OF THE TALKS, MR. CLINTON MET WITH RUSSIAN PRIME
MINISTER SERGEI STEPASHIN TO REVIEW SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES HE
WILL DISCUSS WITH MR. YELTSIN - INCLUDING ARMS CONTROL AND
RUSSIA'S EFFORTS TO CURB MISSILE TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN. (SIGNED)
NEB/DAT/PT
19-Jun-99 5:04 PM EDT (2104 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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