DATE=9/24/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-239211
TITLE=U-S/SOUTH ASIA NUCLEAR (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:    HERE IN WASHINGTON, THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS 
WELCOMED THE STATED WILLINGNESS OF THE LEADERS OF INDIA AND 
PAKISTAN TO SIGN THE NUCLEAT TEST BAN TREATY. A DECISION IS 
EXPECTED SOON ON WHETHER MR. CLINTON WILL VISIT SOUTH ASIA IN 
NOVEMBER. V-O-A'S DAVID GOLLUST HAS DETAILS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.



TEXT:   THE NUCLEAR COMPETITION IN SOUTH ASIA HAS BEEN A MAJOR 
WORRY FOR CLINTON ADMINISTRATION POLICY MAKERS. AND THE WHITE 
HOUSE HAS WARMLY WELCOMED THE NEW YORK STATEMENTS BY BOTH THE 
PAKISTANI AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTERS THAT THEIR GOVERNMENTS ARE 
PREPARED TO SIGN THE GLOBAL TEST BAN TREATY NEXT YEAR.  WORD OF 
INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BEHARI VAJPAYEE'S ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE 
U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY CAME AS WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN MIKE MCURRY 
WAS BRIEFING REPORTERS HERE:

                     ///MCCURRY ACTUALITY///

         CERTAINLY IF THAT REPORT BEARS OUT, WE WOULD WELCOME 
         THAT JUST AS WE WELCOME THE STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER 
         SHARIF. WE'RE GOING TO WORK  HARD SO THAT BOTH 
         GOVERNMENTS UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT -- THE POSITIVE  
         EFFECT -- THAT ADHERENCE TO A COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN 
         REGIME WOULD HAVE IN THE REGION.

                         /// END ACT ///

PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF ANNOUNCED HIS GOVERNMENT'S 
READINESS TO SIGN THE TREATY IN A U-N SPEECH WEDNESDAY, SAYING 
ALSO THAT HE EXPECTS THE LIFTING OF THE SANCTIONS IMPOSED AGAINST
PAKISTAN BECAUSE OF ITS NUCLEAR TEST SERIES LAST MAY. 

SWEEPING U-S ECONOMIC SANCTIONS MANDATED BY CONGRESS TOOK EFFECT 
AGAINST BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN AFTER THEY EACH CONDUCTED 
MULTIPLE TESTS WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF EACH OTHER IN LATE MAY.

AT A BILATERAL NEW YORK MEETING ON MONDAY, PRESIDENT CLINTON TOLD
MR. SHARIF HE WOULD SUPPORT A LIFTING OF SANCTIONS IN PRINCIPLE 
BUT THAT HE COULD MAKE NO FIRM COMMITMENT WITH ENABLING 
LEGISLATION JUST BEGINNING TO WORK ITS WAY THROUGH CONGRESS.

AFTER THE SOUTH ASIAN TESTS, PRESIDENT CLINTON SUSPENDED PLANNING
FOR A VISIT TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN NOVEMBER. WHITE HOUSE 
OFFICIALS SAY THEY NOW EXPECT A DECISION ON TRIP PLANS TO BE MADE
BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.                                         

                       ///REST OPTIONAL///

THE WHITE HOUSE COUPLED ITS REMARKS ON THE SOUTH ASIAN NUCLEAR 
ISSUE WITH A RENEWED CALL ON THE U-S SENATE TO RATIFY -- AS SOON 
AS POSSIBLE NEXT YEAR -- THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY WHICH 
MR. CLINTON SIGNED TWO YEARS AGO.

IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, MR. CLINTON CONTRASTED SENATE INACTION ON
THE TREATY TO ITS SWIFT RATIFICATION OF THE 1963 TREATY BANNING 
ATMOSPHERIC NUCLEAR TESTS -- WHICH WAS APPROVED LESS THAT TWO 
MONTHS AFTER IT WAS SIGNED BY PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY.

MR. CLINTON SAID THE TREATY WILL BE A POWERFUL TOOL IN THE FIGHT 
AGAINST WEAPONS PROLIFERATION AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE UNDERSTAND 
THAT SENATE APPROVAL IS "THE RIGHT THING TO DO." (SIGNED)



NEB/DAG/PT

24-Sep-98 4:57 PM EDT (2057 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.