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Voice of America 3/27/97

U-N/DISARMAMENT

BYLINE=DOUGLAS ROBERTS
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO: THE U-N DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE ENDED ITS SIX-WEEK WINTER SESSION IN GENEVA THURSDAY, IN COMPLETE DEADLOCK OVER THE QUESTION OF NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT. V-O-A'S DOUGLAS ROBERTS REPORTS THE CONFERENCE HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY PARALYZED BY DEMANDS FROM NON-ALIGNED NATIONS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW FORUM TO NEGOTIATE THE COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

TEXT: THE DEADLOCK WAS APPARENT EVEN AS THE DELEGATES FROM 61 NATIONS BEGAN ARRIVING HERE FOR THE WINTER NEGOTIATING SESSION IN LATE JANUARY.

NUCLEAR POWERS AND VIRTUALLY ALL WESTERN STATES WANT THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE TO BEGIN TALKS ON A NEW TREATY BANNING PRODUCTION OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS "FISSILE" MATERIAL -- THE PLUTONIUM AND ENRICHED URANIUM USED IN NUCLEAR WARHEADS. THEY SEE THIS AS THE LOGICAL NEXT STEP IN THE DISARMAMENT PROCESS FOLLOWING LAST YEAR'S AGREEMENT ON A NUCLEAR TEST BAN.

THE NON-ALIGNED BLOC HERE, LED BY INDIA, IS NOT AGAINST NEGOTIATIONS ON THE PROPOSED NEW TREATY. BUT THE BLOC IS INSISTING THAT THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE TO TACKLE THE ISSUE OF THE COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

INDIA AND ITS ALLIES WANT THE CONFERENCE TO SET UP A NEW AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT WOULD WORK TOWARD THAT GOAL BY THE YEAR 2020.

NUCLEAR POWERS AND WESTERN COUNTRIES HAVE RESISTED THE DEMAND, ARGUING THAT MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS WOULD BE POINTLESS UNTIL THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA, BY FAR THE TWO MOST POWERFUL NUCLEAR STATES, HAVE COMPLETED THE CUTS ENVISAGED IN THEIR STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION AGREEMENTS.

THE IMPASSE HERE QUICKLY DEGENERATED INTO A PROCEDURAL WRANGLE. AFTER A FLURRY OF CONSULTATIONS, THE DELEGATES EVENTUALLY AGREED ON AN AMBIGUOUSLY- WORDED AGENDA. BUT THERE IS STILL NO CONCENSUS ON WHICH ITEM TO TACKLE FIRST.

THE CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR GRIGORI BERDENNIKOV, TOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE THURSDAY THERE IS NO SIGN OF AN END TO THE IMPASSE.

IF YOU ASK ME WHETHER I SEE THE END OF THE TUNNEL, THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, I WILL SAY VERY DIMLY, VERY DIMLY.

THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE DUE TO RESUME HERE IN MAY, AND THE OUTLOOK APPEARS BLEAK. AMBASSADOR BERDENNIKOV SAID EVERYONE INVOLVED SEES THE NEED FOR A COMPROMISE, BUT THERE IS NO SIGN OF A FORMULA ACCEPTABLE TO ALL. (SIGNED)

NEB/DBR/PCF

27-Mar-97 10:30 AM EST (1530 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America