Voice of America 4/24/97

CONGRESS / NATO

BYLINE=PAULA WOLFSON
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:   THE U-S CONGRESS PLANS TO WEIGH
IN WITH ITS OWN SET OF  GUIDELINES FOR NATO 
EXPANSION.   LEGISLATION IS BEING PREPARED 
FOR  CONSIDERATION BY THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES.  AND AS V-O-A'S PAULA 
WOLFSON REPORTS, SUPPORTERS HOPE THE
MEASURE WILL BECOME LAW BEFORE THE JULY 
NATO MEETING IN MADRID.

TEXT:    A POWERFUL GROUP OF HOUSE 
MEMBERS IS SPONSORING THE BILL,  INCLUDING 
THE CHAIRMEN OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 
AND INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES.  THEY ARE 
JOINED BY HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER DICK 
ARMEY.

           ////ARMEY ACT////

I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR.  THIS 
CONGRESS SUPPORTS NATO  ENLARGEMENT.  
WE EXPECT NATO ENLARGEMENT TO PROCEED.  
WE BELIEVE THAT  NATO ENLARGEMENT WILL
BRING CONTINUED PEACE TO EUROPE FOR
GENERATIONS TO COME.

           ////END ACT////

SUPPORTERS OF THE BILL SAY THE GOAL IS 
MAKE SURE ALL THE EMERGING DEMOCRACIES
 OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE KNOW 
THEY WILL BE WELCOME IN NATO.  HOUSE 
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE 
CHAIRMAN BENJAMIN GILMAN (A NEW YORK
REPUBLICAN) NOTES ONLY THREE ARE LIKELY 
TO BE INVITED IN JULY.  HE SAYS THE BILL 
INSTRUCTS THE PRESIDENT TO PREPARE A 
SECOND LIST OF COUNTRIES THAT SHOULD BE 
CONSIDERED FOR MEMBERSHIP AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.

            ////GILMAN ACT////

THE FIRST-ROUND GROUP IS HUNGARY, POLAND 
AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC.  WE ARE TALKING 
ABOUT OTHER NATIONS THAT ARE ALMOST THERE, 
BUT NEED A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION TO BE 
ABLE TO MEET THE CRITERIA.

              ////END ACT////

THE BILL MENTIONS ROMANIA, ESTONIA, 
LATVIA AND LITHUANIA AS CANDIDATES FOR 
THE SECOND ROUND.  HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN PORTER GOSS (A 
REPUBLICAN FROM FLORIDA) VISITED THE 
REGION RECENTLY AND SAYS THE REASSURANCE 
WILL BE WELCOME. 

             ////GOSS ACT///

ANY OR ALL OF THE BALTICS ARE ABOUT READY, 
IN MY VIEW, TO COME INTO THE NATO AREA.  
ANY OR ALL OF THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE OUT 
THERE AND ASKING TO COME IN ARE GOING 
THROUGH EXTREME EFFORTS IN TERMS OF THEIR 
NATIONAL DEFENSE, THEIR NATIONAL BUDGET, 
THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE  WEST, DE-SOVIETIZATION
OF THE MILITARY -- ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS 
ARE BEING MET.

                         ////END ACT////

THE DRAFT LEGISLATION ALSO SAYS THAT 
RUSSIA'S CONCERNS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO 
ACCOUNT.  IT SAYS NATO ENLARGEMENT SHOULD 
BE CARRIED OUT IN A WAY THAT ENHANCES THE 
SECURITY OF ALL THE COUNTRIES IN EUROPE, 
INCLUDING RUSSIA.  AND IT CALLS FOR GREATER 
COOPERATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MISSILE 
DEFENSE SYSTEMS.

THERE IS SOME LANGUAGE IN THE BILL THAT 
MIGHT CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THE  WHITE HOUSE
 -- MOST NOTABLY, A PROVISION THAT CALLS INTO 
QUESTION THE FATE OF THE ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE 
(A-B-M) TREATY.  IT SAYS THIS IS A BILATERAL 
TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA, 
AND THERE IS NO NEED TO BRING IN OTHER 
FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS.  SUPPORTERS OF 
THE BILL SEEM TO HAVE RECOGNIZED THE 
POTENTIAL FOR WHITE HOUSE OBJECTIONS.  
WHILE THE REST OF THE BILL WOULD BE BINDING 
ON THE PRESIDENT, THIS SECTION WOULD NOT.   
IT MERELY EXPRESSES THE POSITION OF THE
LEGISLATURE.  (SIGNED)

NEB/PW/RRM

24-Apr-97 1:27 PM EDT (1727 UTC)
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