DATE=9/1/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237993
TITLE=U-S / RUSSIA ARMS  (L)
BYLINE=DAVID GOLLUST
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO: WHILE THEIR SUMMIT TALKS HAVE BEEN DOMINATED BY ECONOMIC 
ISSUES, PRESIDENTS CLINTON AND YELTSIN HAVE REACHED TWO 
AGREEMENTS AIMED AT REDUCING THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR CONFLICT.  
VOA'S DAVID GOLLUST REPORTS FROM MOSCOW.

TEXT:  THE START-TWO NUCLEAR ARMS REDUCTION ACCORD CONTINUES TO 
BE BOTTLED UP BY YELTSIN OPPONENTS IN THE RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT. BUT
THE TWO PRESIDENTS ARE TRYING TO KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM OF THE 
ARMS-CONTROL PROCESS WITH EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS.

THEY HAVE AGREED HERE TO INCREASE THE SHARING OF EARLY-WARNING 
INFORMATION ON MISSILE LAUNCHES IN A FURTHER EFFORT TO INSURE 
AGAINST AN ACCIDENTAL NUCLEAR EXCHANGE.

AND THEY AGREED TO REDUCE THE TWO COUNTRIES' MILITARY STOCKPILES 
OF PLUTONIUM, THE KEY INGREDIENT IN NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES, BY 50 
TONS EACH.  REPUBLICAN SENATOR PETE DOMENICI, A MEMBER OF THE U-S
SUMMIT DELEGATION, SAYS THE PLUTONIUM DEAL OPENS A IMPORTANT NEW 
AREA OF COOPERATION:

                       ///DOMENICI ACT///

         THE AGREEMENT IS SUCH THAT 50 TONS WILL NO LONGER BE 
         AVAILABLE FOR WEAPONS USE. AND THAT'S RATHER HISTORIC. 
         IT'LL TAKE A WHILE TO IMPLEMENT IT. BUT I THINK WITH OUR
         SCIENTISTS, THEIR SCIENTISTS, AND SOME GOOD JUDGMENT AND
         SOME THINGS WE ALREADY KNOW, THAT THIS COULD BE THE 
         BEGINNING OF A RATHER FORMIDABLE NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH 
         REFERENCE TO THE WHOLE ARSENAL OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND 
         ALL THE MATERIAL, FISSILE MATERIAL, THAT ARE RELATED TO 
         IT.

                          ///END ACT///

THE PLUTONIUM, ENOUGH TO MAKE THOUSANDS OF WEAPONS, IS TO BE USED
AS FUEL IN CIVILIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS OR MIXED WITH 
RADIOACTIVE WASTE AND PLACED IN A SECURE, LONG TERM REPOSITORIES.

UNDER THE EARLY WARNING AGREEMENT, THE TWO SIDES ARE TO PROVIDE 
EACH OTHER WITH CONTINUOUS INFORMATION ON MISSILE LAUNCHES 
DETECTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS. 

U-S OFFICIALS SAY IT IS AIMED AT PREVENTING A REPEAT OF A 1995 
INCIDENT IN WHICH THE LAUNCH OF A SCIENTIFIC ROCKET BY NORWAY PUT
THE RUSSIAN MILITARY ON A NUCLEAR ALERT. 

THEY SAY RUSSIA'S EARLY WARNING SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEGRADED BY 
BUDGET PROBLEMS AND THE CLOSURE OF FORWARD-BASED RADAR SITES IN 
COUNTRIES THAT WERE FORMERLY PART OF THE SOVIET UNION. ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT FORMER SOVIET EARLY-WARNING FACILITIES -- AT 
SKRUNDA, LATVIA -- WAS CLOSED DOWN EARLIER THIS WEEK. 

THE AGREEMENT MAY LEAD TO CREATION OF A JOINT U-S/RUSSIAN 
EARLY-WARNING CENTER AND PERHAPS A MULTI-LATERAL MISSILE AND 
SPACE LAUNCH NOTIFICATION REGIME.  EXPERTS SAY THE NEED FOR SUCH 
A SYSTEM IS GROWING AS MORE COUNTRIES DEVELOP A BALLISTIC MISSILE
CAPABILITY, AS EVIDENCED BY NORTH KOREA'S TEST OF A MEDIUM RANGE 
MISSILE ON MONDAY. (SIGNED)

NEB/DAG/KL

01-Sep-98 1:02 PM EDT (1702 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.