DATE=6/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250886
TITLE=CLINTON / YELTSIN (L)
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=COLOGNE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON AND HIS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART BORIS
YELTSIN HAVE PUT THEIR DIFFERENCES OVER KOSOVO BEHIND THEM AND
HAVE AGREED TO RESUME WORK ON THEIR BILATERAL AGENDA.
CORRESPONDENT DEBORAH TATE REPORTS FROM COLOGNE, GERMANY, WHERE
THE MEETING TOOK PLACE.
TEXT: IT WAS THEIR FIRST MEETING SINCE SEPTEMBER, AND SINCE
THEN, RELATIONS BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND MOSCOW SPIRALED DOWNWARD
OVER THE KOSOVO ISSUE -- WITH MR. YELTSIN MAKING IT QUITE CLEAR
HE WAS FURIOUS ABOUT THE U-S-LED NATO BOMBING CAMPAIGN.
BUT NOW THAT THE KOSOVO CONFLICT IS OVER AND A DEAL HAS BEEN
STRUCK CONCERNING RUSSIA'S PARTICIPATION IN A NATO PEACEKEEPING
FORCE, THE TWO LEADERS AGREED TO PUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP BACK ON
TRACK.
U-S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SANDY BERGER:
// BERGER ACTUALITY //
I THINK KOSOVO HAS LEFT SOME SCARS ON BOTH SIDES, BUT
THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COOPERATE WITH THE
RUSSIANS IN ACHIEVING THE PEACE, THE FACT THAT WE NOW
REACHED AN AGREEMENT IN HELSINKI WHICH PRESIDENT YELTSIN
STRONGLY ENDORSED FOR PEACEKEEPING, AND THE FACT THESE
TWO PRESIDENTS WANT TO GET THINGS DONE, CERTAINLY BEFORE
MR. YELTSIN'S TERM ENDS NEXT SUMMER, GIVES US FORWARD
MOMENTUM.
// END ACT //
MR. BERGER DESCRIBED THE HOUR-LONG TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO
PRESIDENTS AS 'POSITIVE, PRODUCTIVE, AND FRIENDLY'. IT WAS 'A
MEETING OF RENEWAL', HE TOLD REPORTERS.
AS THEIR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, MR. CLINTON AND MR. YELTSIN
AGREED TO HAVE THEIR COUNTRIES RESUME ARMS CONTROL TALKS AIMED AT
FURTHER REDUCING THEIR STOCKPILE OF NUCLEAR WARHEADS. THOSE
TALKS ARE EXPECTED TO GET UNDERWAY IN THE COMING MONTHS.
MR. BERGER SAYS MR. YELTSIN ALSO AGREED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO
NEGOTIATE FURTHER CHANGES IN THE 1972 ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE
TREATY, WHICH COULD CLEAR THE WAY FOR THE UNITED STATES TO DEPLOY
A NATIONAL BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM IF IT CHOOSES.
MEANWHILE, MR. YELTSIN GAVE MR. CLINTON DOCUMENTS FROM RUSSIAN
ARCHIVES ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION OF U-S PRESIDENT JOHN KENNEDY IN
1963. MR. CLINTON EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE, SAYING THE LIFE AND
DEATH OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY ARE SUBJECTS OF ENORMOUS INTEREST TO
AMERICANS, AND THAT THE DOCUMENTS WOULD PROVE USEFUL.
// REST OPT //
BUT THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT ALSO RAISED AN ISSUE THAT HE SAYS
CONTINUES TO BE AN IRRITANT IN THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP -- THE
SO-CALLED 'JACKSON-VANIK' AMENDMENT.
THE LAW WAS WRITTEN DURING THE COLD WAR, AND IT CALLED ON THE
UNITED STATES TO DENY NORMAL TRADE RELATIONS TO MOSCOW IF IT
BLOCKED THE EMIGRATION OF SOVIET JEWS. IT IS STILL ON THE BOOKS,
EVEN THOUGH RUSSIAN JEWS ARE FREE TO EMIGRATE.
MR. CLINTON HAS WAIVED THE LAW EVERY YEAR AND HAS ASKED THE
CONGRESS TO REPEAL IT.
BUT MANY LAWMAKERS SEE A NEED FOR THE LAW -- CITING A RISE IN
ANTI-SEMITIC STATEMENTS FROM RUSSIAN NATIONALISTS. MR. CLINTON
SAID HE WOULD WORK TO REMOVE THE LAW, IF MR. YELTSIN DID WHAT HE
COULD TO CURB SUCH RHETORIC. THE RUSSIAN LEADER PLEDGED HE
WOULD.
IN ADDITION, MR. CLINTON PLEDGED THAT THE WEST IS PREPARED TO
CONTINUE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO RUSSIA, ONCE MOSCOW MAKES GOOD ON
ITS COMMITMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND TO IMPLEMENT
FURTHER REFORM. (SIGNED)
NEB/DAT/KL
20-Jun-99 12:49 PM EDT (1649 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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