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Russian Stance on ABM Treaty -- Disarmament `Expert' on Results of Limitation Talks

By ITAR-TASS correspodent Anatoliy Yurkin
Moscow ITAR-TASS
in English, 1046 GMT 11 Apr 95


[FBIS Transcribed Text] Moscow April 11 TASS -- The results of Russian-American talks on the limitation of anti-ballistic-missile [ABM] systems for theatre of operations should meet the national interests of Russia, Pavel Podvig, an expert from the Centre for the Study of Problems of Disarmament, Energy and Ecology, told ITAR-TASS in an exclusive interview today. According to Podvig, reports, that appeared in the Western press, saying that senior officials of the Clinton administration are going to consider a possibility of giving up the concessions, made by the United States at the talks with Russia on specifying provisions of the ABM treaty, are evoking some concern.

As one of possible steps, it was suggested to remove from discussion the proposal, put forward at the talks, on the setting of speed limits for interceptor missiles. The Russian expert believes it was not accidental that Russia put forward this proposal. It helps to draw a dividing line between regional systems, which are permitted by the ABM treaty, and the strategic ones, banned by it.

In his opinion, the preservation of the ABM treaty is more important for Russia, than the development of the ABM system for theatre of operations, on which the U.S. side insists. Podvig believes the Russian stand is not only the result of the limited possibilities of our country in developing its own ABM systems for theatre of operationss. If Russia accepts the U.S. conceptual framework, this will actually mean that it agrees to the creation in the U.S. of the weapon systems that can be used for waging so-called "star wars," which are again becoming popular across the ocean.



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