ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:96121301.POL
DATE:12/13/96
TITLE:13-12-96  CONGRESSIONAL REPORT, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13

TEXT:
(Lugar/NATO) (240)

CLINTON URGED TO TAKE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN NATO EXPANSION EFFORT

Republican Senator Richard Lugar (Indiana) is calling on President
Clinton to begin an intensive consultation with Congress in
preparation for ratification of a new NATO Treaty in 1997.

During the December conference in Brussels, the NATO foreign ministers
"made excellent progress" toward expanding the alliance, Lugar, a
senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a
December 12 press statement.

"With a firm date set for NATO to invite new members, President
Clinton must articulate a strong case for enlargement, both at home
and abroad," Lugar said. "He must take the lead in achieving consensus
within the alliance in favor of increasing NATO's members and missions
while forging a new relationship with Russia. He also must build
support now in Congress and with the American people," Lugar said.

At the December 10-11 meeting, NATO ministers announced that a summit
will be held July 8-9 in Madrid to extend the first invitations to
former Soviet-bloc countries for membership in the alliance. The
announcement of new members, Lugar said, will begin accession talks
between the designated countries and NATO-member countries. The newly
invited countries, he said, could achieve membership by 1999, which
will mark the 50th anniversary of the alliance. Each NATO member's
legislature must approve the new members.
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