DATE=5/30/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=NATO / YUGOSLAVIA (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-262982
BYLINE=STEFAN BOS
DATELINE=BUDAPEST
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: NATO Secretary General George Robertson says
he is concerned by reports that Yugoslavia may be
working on the development of nuclear weapons. Stefan
Bos in Budapest reports Mr. Robertson made the comment
at a meeting of the NATO parliamentary assembly in the
Hungarian capital.
TEXT: One of the speakers at the NATO assembly -- the
director of the U-S based Center for Nonproliferation
Studies, William Potter -- said research shows that
Yugoslavia may be able to develop nuclear weapons
within two years.
NATO Secretary General George Robertson told reporters
the report is worrying, and it is another reason to
seek the ouster of Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic.
/// ROBERTSON ACT ONE ///
If he has ambitions in the areas of terror
weapons, then that is another good reason why we
should get rid of him as early as possible.
/// END ACT ///
Scientists have said Russia and the United States
should work together to make sure Yugoslavia does not
misuse its estimated 50 kilograms of weapons-grade
material.
NATO Secretary General Robertson said he urged Russian
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to end what he called
Russia's close ties with officials in the Yugoslav
government, some of whom have been indicted for war
crimes by the U-N Tribunal at The Hague.
/// ROBERTSON ACT TWO ///
We also took the opportunity of expressing our
serious concern of the invitation to Moscow of
(Yugoslav) Defense Minister (Dragoljub) Odjanic,
an individual who has been indicted by the
international criminal tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia, the United Nations' own tribunal.
And Foreign Minister Ivanov made it clear that
this was due to an inter-agency mix-up and that
disciplinary steps would be taken against those
responsible, and that the president of the
international criminal tribunal had been
informed.
/// END ACT ///
A number of delegates at the four-day NATO assembly
meeting voiced concern about U-S proposals to develop
a new limited missile defense system that they said
could lead to a new arms race with Russia.
Secretary General Robertson admitted there are
disagreements within the alliance on the missile
question as well as on a European Union proposal to
develop its own military force and other issues.
/// ROBERTSON ACT THREE ///
Good discussions on the development of European
defense, on national missile defense, on
finishing the job in the Balkans, on the
enlargement process are taking place. Of course
there are going to be areas where there are
differences of opinion.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Robertson also said talks will continue with
Balkan and Baltic nations that want to join NATO all
at the same time. But he said no decision on
additional NATO expansion will be made before 2002.
(Signed)
NEB/SB/JWH/JP
30-May-2000 15:06 PM EDT (30-May-2000 1906 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
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