Source: Voice of America
DATE=1/13/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-208595
TITLE=RUSSIA / NATO (L)
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW

INTRO: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN HAS WRITTEN TO THE PRESIDENT OF NEIGHBORING BELARUS, SUGGESTING A REFERENDUM ON UNIFICATION. V-O-A'S PETER HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW REPORTS THE PROPOSAL IS PART OF A DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE AGAINST NATO'S PLANS TO EXPAND EASTWARD TOWARD RUSSIA'S BORDER.

TEXT: KREMLIN SPOKESMAN SERGEI YASTRZHEMBSKY TOLD REPORTERS (MONDAY) MR. YELTSIN RAISED THE MERGER QUESTION IN A LETTER TO BELARUS PRESIDENT ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO. MR. YASTRZHEMBSKY SAID THE RUSSIAN LEADER OUTLINED A PLAN FOR UNIFICATION, THE FINAL STEP OF WHICH COULD BE A REFERENDUM IN BOTH COUNTRIES.

/// YASTRZHEMBSKY ACT, FADE UNDER ///

THE KREMLIN SPOKESMAN SAID MR. YELTSIN'S PROPOSAL CALLED FOR ALL DETAILS TO BE ARRANGED IN ADVANCE, SO IF THE REFERENDUM IS APPROVED, A SINGLE GOVERNMENT COULD BEGIN FUNCTIONING IMMEDIATELY.

FOR BELARUS AND ITS AUTHORITARIAN LEADER, THE ADVANTAGES OF UNIFICATION ARE OBVIOUS. THE COUNTRY'S STRUGGLING ECONOMY WOULD GET AN IMMEDIATE BOOST, AND A MERGER WOULD PROVIDE MR. LUKASHENKO A MUCH LARGER STAGE FOR HIS POLITICAL AMBITIONS. HE REACTED ENTHUSIASTICALLY MONDAY TO MR. YELTSIN'S SUGGESTION.

FOR RUSSIA, THE PROPOSED UNION WOULD AT BEST BE A MIXED BLESSING. MOSCOW CAN ILL-AFFORD TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL BURDEN AT A TIME WHEN ITS OWN ECONOMY IS IN PAINFUL TRANSITION.

BUT THE POLITICAL BENEFITS MAY OUTWEIGH THE ECONOMIC COSTS AT A TIME WHEN RUSSIA IS SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE PLANNED EASTWARD EXPANSION OF NATO. WITH THAT IN MIND, SENIOR KREMLIN OFFICIAL SERGEI SHAKRAI WAS QUOTED MONDAY AS SAYING PRESIDENT YELTSIN SHOULD MAKE UNIFICATION HIS PRIMARY GOAL FOR THE YEAR.

POLITICAL ANALYST VICTOR KREMENYUK, OF MOSCOW'S U-S-A/CANADA INSTITUTE, SAYS THE UNIFICATION ISSUE IS ONE OF A SERIES OF KREMLIN MOVES DESIGNED TO MAKE NATO RECONSIDER ITS EXPANSION PLANS. MR. KREMENYUK SAYS WESTERN LEADERS APPEAR TO BE IGNORING RUSSIA'S CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT IS STILL A HIGHLY-EMOTIONAL ISSUE.

/// KREMENYUK ACT ///

POLITICALLY, OF COURSE, IT IS A SLAP IN THE FACE, AND I DO NOT THINK YELTSIN MAY AFFORD TO IGNORE IT. BECAUSE THE RUSSIANS DO NOT LIKE THE WHOLE IDEA. BECAUSE, THIS IS A NEW SPLIT OF EUROPE. EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT EUROPE BECOMES NATO AND NON-NATO, TWO EUROPES. AND RUSSIA IS BEING LEFT OUTSIDE OF THE WHOLE STRUCTURE.

/// END ACT ///

MR. KREMENYUK SAYS AS THE ATLANTIC ALLIANCE MOVES TOWARD INVITING NEW MEMBERS NEXT JULY, RUSSIA PLANS A SERIES OF STRONGER RETALIATORY MOVES. HE SAID THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

THE ANTI-NATO RHETORIC FROM THE KREMLIN IS ALREADY BECOMING INCREASINGLY BITTER. PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S FINAL MEETING BEFORE ENTERING THE HOSPITAL LAST WEEK WAS DEVOTED TO DEVISING STRATEGY FOR OPPOSING THE ALLIANCE'S EXPANSION. (SIGNED)

NEB/PFH/JWH/RAE

13-Jan-97 12:13 PM EST (1713 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America