DATE=5/31/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON - RUSSIA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-263009
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=LISBON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: President Clinton is playing down expectations
for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin
in Moscow beginning Saturday. But he says the trip
will be well worth it, even if there are no
breakthroughs in disputes over U-S plans for a
ballistic missile defense system and Russia's role in
Chechnya. Correspondent Deborah Tate reports from
Lisbon, where the president spoke at the end of a
daylong U-S - European summit.
Text: Mr. Clinton says he would be surprised if he
and Mr. Putin bridged all their differences over
Russia's crackdown in the breakaway region of Chechnya
and a U-S proposal for a limited national missile
defense system. But he says the visit will be -- in
his words -- well worth it.
/// Clinton Act ///
Even in the areas where we may not have an
agreement, in some ways that may be the most
important reason for the trip of all. We should
not only do these trips and these dialogues when
we know we have a guaranteed outcome. Sometimes
it is most important to be talking when there
are still unresolved differences.
/// End Act ///
Russia has defended its operation against separatist
rebels in Chechnya, but the United States has
repeatedly expressed its concern and appealed for a
political solution to the matter.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres -- fresh
from his own meeting in Moscow with Mr. Putin -- says
he believes the newly elected Russian leader has taken
some positive steps on the issue of Chechnya:
/// Guterres Act ///
I must say I was quite impressed by President
Putin's determination in creating in Russia a
democratic state based on a market economy and
the rule of law. It was also clear, from our
point of view, that even if our views on
Chechnya are different, he said publicly he was
committed to a political solution, and he
announced his firm support to the inquiries to
be made by an independent committee, his will to
see the O-S-C-E (Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) return to Chechnya, and
to give better support to international
organizations involved in humanitarian help, and
he stressed there will be people prosecuted for
violations of human rights in Chechnya.
/// End Act ///
On the issue of a U-S missile defense shield, Mr.
Clinton says he has not yet decided whether to deploy
such a system. He is expected to make a decision
later this year.
The president again defended the proposal, saying it
would protect the United States from attack by what he
called "rogue states" such as Iran, Iraq or North
Korea.
But Russia believes deployment of such a system --
which would require changes to the 1972 Anti Ballistic
Missile Treaty -- would harm previous arms control
efforts and could launch a new arms race.
It is a concern shared by many in Europe. Prime
Minister Guterres -- whose country now holds the
rotating E-U presidency -- says the issue should not
move forward without the consent of European allies.
/// Guterres Act ///
We live in the Northern Hemisphere, where we
want to have a strong security situation. We
believe we have built a lot on the past to
create that. We believe that every new move to
strengthen this must be as comprehensive as
possible, as agreed by everybody as possible,
and as corresponding as possible to everyone's
concerns and to everyone's concerns and to
everyone's preoccupations in this matter.
/// End Act ///
Romani Prodi, president of the European Commission,
sought to play down the transatlantic differences over
this issue, saying U-S and European allies are -- in
his words -- increasingly joined together in their
defense purposes. (Signed)
NEB/DAT/JP
31-May-2000 12:13 PM EDT (31-May-2000 1613 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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