DATE=5/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA/TEST BAN TREATY (L)  CQ
NUMBER=2-262906
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO:  Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed 
the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, a global ban on 
nuclear weapons testing.  Moscow Correspondent Eve 
Conant reports the signing comes one week ahead of a 
summit with President Bill Clinton, where nuclear arms 
issues are to top the agenda.

TEXT:  The Kremlin press service says President Putin 
has signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty which 
calls for a world-wide ban on nuclear testing.  
Russia's parliament recently ratified the treaty, 
which the United States Senate rejected last year 
after opponents argued it would undermine U-S 
security.  Other nuclear powers that have not accepted 
the treaty include India, Pakistan, and North Korea.

Mr. Putin's signing of the test ban treaty comes just 
one week ahead of a scheduled summit with U-S 
President Bill Clinton.  The two leaders are to 
discuss a range of issues from Moscow's offensive in 
Chechnya to Russia's bid to join the World Trade 
Organization.  But the talks are to focus on nuclear 
arms issues and non-proliferation. 

Russia has recently ratified the START-Two arms accord 
that would see both the United States and Russia slash 
their nuclear arsenals in half.  A START-Three accord 
would lower their arsenals to no more than 25-hundred 
warheads.  But Russia's cash-strapped government has 
proposed even deeper cuts. 

Mr. Putin is also expected to voice his opposition to 
a U-S proposal to build a limited missile defense 
shield.  Russian officials argue that doing so would 
violate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty which 
Moscow views as the cornerstone of all nuclear arms 
control agreements.  A senior U-S official told 
reporters this week not to expect Mr. Putin and Mr. 
Clinton to reach an agreement on the amendment to the 
A-B-M Treaty.

           /// OFFICIAL ACT ///

      Our approach is looking at a (U-S) presidential 
      decision on whether to build a missile defense 
      system.  But the Russians so far have given no 
      go-ahead, no indication they are willing to 
      accept the amendments to the A-B-M treaty that 
      will be necessary for us to do that and keep the 
      A-B-M framework intact.

            /// END ACT ///

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made arms 
reduction one of his key foreign policy priorities 
since being elected late March. (Signed)

NEB/EC/ALW/PLM




28-May-2000 14:41 PM EDT (28-May-2000 1841 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.