DATE=12/18/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-243266
TITLE=U-S / RUSSIA (L)
BYLINE=KYLE KING
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT SAYS SHE BELIEVES 
RUSSIA WANTS TO CONTINUE A BROAD-BASED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE 
UNITED STATES, DESPITE PROFOUND DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE USE OF 
FORCE IN IRAQ.  FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT, VOA'S KYLE KING 
REPORTS.

TEXT:  RUSSIA HAS BEEN THE MOST OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF THE U-S AND 
BRITISH AIR STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ -- GOING SO FAR AS TO RECALL ITS
AMBASSADORS IN PROTEST.

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV IS QUOTED AS SAYING THE 
ATTACKS SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT AND U-S RUSSIAN RELATIONS COULD
SUFFER IF THEY ARE  NOT  STOPPED.

RUSSIA'S LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT HAS PASSED A RESOLUTION URGING
PRESIDENT YELTSIN TO RESUME FULL-SCALE ECONOMIC AND MILITARY 
COOPERATION WITH IRAQ.

BUT DESPITE THOSE DEVELOPMENTS, U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY DO  NOT 
EXPECT U-S ACTIONS IN IRAQ TO HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON U-S 
RUSSIAN RELATIONS.  STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JAMES RUBIN SAYS 
THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA HAVE LONG DISAGREED ABOUT THE USE OF
FORCE IN IRAQ.

                         // RUBIN ACT //

         IT'S  NO  SECRET THAT THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA HAVE 
         A PROFOUND DISAGREEMENT ON THE WISDOM OF USING FORCE 
         AGAINST IRAQ.  THIS HAS BEEN LONG-STANDING AND SECRETARY
         ALBRIGHT HAS POINTED OUT TO THE RUSSIANS, AS SHE HAS TO 
         OTHER GOVERNMENTS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THIS,
         THAT THEY DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY OTHER SOLUTION.

                          // END ACT //

MS. ALBRIGHT AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV DISCUSSED 
THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AGAIN FRIDAY, IN WHAT U-S OFFICIALS 
DESCRIBE AS A VERY USEFUL TELEPHONE CONVERSATION.

MS. ALBRIGHT'S SPOKESMAN SAYS THE SECRETARY BELIEVES RUSSIA WANTS
TO CONTINUE A BROAD BASED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES.

                         // RUBIN ACT //

         THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING U-S RUSSIAN
         RELATIONS BE A STABILIZING FACTOR IN THE INTERNATIONAL 
         COMMUNITY -- NOT A DESTABILIZING FACTOR, AND THAT THEY 
         ARE GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH US ON A WIDE VARIETY 
         OF ISSUES.

                         // END ACT // 

HOWEVER, ONE OF THE FATALITIES OF THE CRISIS IN IRAQ MAY BE HOPE 
FOR AN IMMEDIATE PASSAGE OF THE LONG DELAYED START TWO NUCLEAR 
ARMS REDUCTION TREATY.

THE YELTSIN GOVERNMENT HAD HOPED THE COMMUNIST-DOMINATED RUSSIAN 
LEGISLATURE WOULD APPROVE THE TREATY THIS MONTH, BUT THE VOTE HAS
NOW BEEN POSTPONED.

STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JAMES RUBIN SAYS THE DELAY IS 
UNFORTUNATE.

                        // RUBIN ACT 3 //

         WE ARE SORRY TO SEE THE RUSSIAN DUMA HAS POSTPONED 
         CONSIDERATION OF START TWO.  IN OUR VIEW START TWO IS IN
         OUR INTEREST AND IT IS IN THE RUSSIAN'S INTEREST.  (OPT 
         INCREASING NUMBERS OF RUSSIAN OFFICIALS AND LEGISLATORS 
         SEEM TO BE UNDERSTANDING THAT START TWO IS IN RUSSIA'S 
         INTEREST. (END OPT)

                          // END ACT //

OFFICIALS SAY THEY STILL BELIEVE THE YELTSIN GOVERNMENT WANTS TO 
RATIFY THE TREATY, WHICH MUST BE APPROVED BEFORE WORK ON START 
THREE CAN BEGIN.

MS. ALBRIGHT'S SPOKESMAN SAYS SHE INTENDS TO GO AHEAD WITH A 
VISIT TO MOSCOW IN JANUARY.  (SIGNED)

NEB/KBK/KL

18-Dec-98 4:34 PM EST (2134 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.