Subject: CHERNOMYRDIN/ U-S ONITER

By DEBORAH TATE/WHITE HOUSE

DATE=2/4/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-209667

TITLE=CHERNOMYRDIN/ U-S ONITER (L ONLY)

BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE

DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE

CONTENT=

INTRO: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS REAFFIRMING ITS COMMITMENT

TO NATO EXPANSION, DESPITE RENEWED OPPOSITION TO THE PLAN FROM

RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR CHERNOMYRDIN, WHO BEGINS A VISIT

TO WASHINGTON LATER TODAY (WEDNESDAY). MR. CHERNOMYRDIN IS TO

HOLD TALKS WITH VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE AND THEN MEET WITH

PRESIDENT CLINTON ON FRIDAY. V-O-A WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT

DEBORAH TATE REPORTS.

TEXT: MR. CHERNOMYRDIN SAYS HE WILL WARN PRESIDENT CLINTON AND

VICE PRESIDENT GORE THAT RAPID EXPANSION OF NATO THREATENS TO

UNDERMINE THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AND WILL FUEL EXTREMIST DEMANDS

IN RUSSIA FOR A RETURN TO CONFRONTATION WITH THE WEST.

HE MADE HIS COMMENTS TO THE WASHINGTON POST NEWSPAPER TUESDAY, ON

THE EVE OF HIS ARRIVAL IN WASHINGTON.

WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN MIKE MCCURRY RESPONDED BY SAYING MR.

CHERNOMYRDIN'S COMMENTS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT RUSSIAN

OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN SAYING PUBLICLY.

RUSSIA HAS LONG BEEN CRITICAL OF NATO'S PLANS TO ACCEPT NEW

MEMBERS FROM AMONG MOSCOW'S FORMER WARSAW PACT ALLIES.

NATO IS SCHEDULED TO HOLD A SUMMIT IN JULY IN MADRID TO INVITE

POLAND, HUNGARY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC TO BECOME MEMBERS TWO

YEARS FROM NOW.

MR. MCCURRY SAYS THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO EXPAND NATO. IN

HIS WORDS -- THE POINT IS TO MAKE IT WORK AND MAKE IT WORK FOR

ALL NATIONS, INCLUDING THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

/// MCCURRY ACTUALITY ///

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES TO STRUCTURE

AN APPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATO AND THE RUSSIAN

FEDERATION AS WE THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN

SECURITY AND WE THINK OF THE VERY IMPORTANT ROLE THAT

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION CAN PLAY IN THE FUTURE OF A

PEACEFUL AND UNDIVIDED EUROPE.

/// END ACT ///

MR. CHERNOMYRDIN TOLD THE WASHINGTON POST NATO'S EFFORT TO GET

RUSSIA TO SIGN A FORMAL SECURITY CHARTER AT THE TIME OF THE

SUMMIT IS -- AS HE PUT IT -- UNACCEPTABLE.

INSTEAD, HE IS CALLING ON NATO TO SIGN A BINDING TREATY, WITH

VERIFICATION, THAT WOULD COMMIT THE ALLIANCE TO CHANGE FROM A

MILITARY BODY TO A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION, ONE THAT WOULD NOT

TREAT RUSSIA AS ITS MAIN THREAT AND ENEMY.

AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, SPOKESMAN NICHOLAS BURNS SAID NO SUCH

CHANGES ARE PLANNED.

/// BURNS ACTUALITY ///

OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO HAVE A DECISION TAKEN ON NATO

ENLARGEMENT BY JULY 7TH AND 8TH IN MADRID, AND WE WOULD

LIKE TO HAVE A NATO-RUSSIA CHARTER WORKED OUT BY THEN TO

COUPLE THE STEP FORWARD BY NATO ENLARGEMENT. HOWEVER,

WE WILL GO FORWARD ON NATO ENLARGEMENT IF WE ARE NOT

ABLE TO PROCEED SATISFACTORILY ON THE NATO-RUSSIAN

NEGOTIATIONS.

/// END ACT ///

IN HIS INTERVIEW, MR. CHERNOMYRDIN SAID HE BELIEVES A PLANNED

MARCH SUMMIT BETWEEN PRESIDENT YELTSIN AND PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL

BE HELD ON SCHEDULE.

MR. YELTSIN'S LONG RECOVERY FROM HEART BYPASS SURGERY AND THEN A

BOUT OF PNEUMONIA HAD FUELED SPECULATION THAT THE MEETING MIGHT

BE DELAYED.

A SITE FOR THE SUMMIT HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED, AND SPOKESMAN

MCCURRY SAYS THE ISSUE WILL LIKELY BE DISCUSSED DURING MR.

CHERNOMYRDIN'S TALKS WITH VICE PRESIDENT GORE. (SIGNED)

NEB/DAT/GKT/LWM

04-Feb-97 7:02 PM EST (0002 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America