News

DATE=8/19/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=RUSSIA - U-S ARMS (L ONLY) NUMBER=2-252933 BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A preliminary round of strategic arms talks between the United States and Russia has ended with a stern warning from Moscow's chief negotiator. V-O-A Correspondent Peter Heinlein in the Russian capital reports the future of the talks is in doubt. TEXT: It was what U-S officials described as a symbol of the first stage of renewal in the Moscow-Washington relationship in the post-Kosovo period. It consisted of official-level talks on a START-Three arms accord, and discussions about the Clinton administration's request for changes in the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty to allow construction of a national missile defense system. The early signs were positive. The chief U-S negotiator, Undersecretary of State John Holum, told V-O-A the talks were businesslike, and he looked forward to further meetings next month in Washington. But a terse joint statement issued Thursday was less optimistic. It said only that the two sides exchanged views and reaffirmed their readiness to begin START- Three talks after Russia's lower house of parliament ratifies the 1993 START-Two treaty. As for the A-B-M accord, the statement simply said the 27-year old treaty continues to be the cornerstone of strategic stability, adding that no specific proposals for changing it had been discussed. But later in the day, Russia's chief negotiator told reporters that the United States request to amend the A-B-M treaty would touch off a new nuclear arms race in space. The director of the Russian foreign ministry's arms control department, Grigory Berdennikov, said, "We see no way that would allow the United States to set up an anti-ballistic missile system and still preserve the A-B-M treaty." News agencies quoted Mr. Berdennikov as saying "if this takes place, talks on a START-Three treaty will be ruined." He said it is not clear when another round of the preliminary talks would be held. A U-S embassy official in Moscow (Thursday) said he was not surprised at Mr. Berdennikov's comments, noting that the negotiator was simply stating a well- known Russian position. The U-S official, who asked not to be identified, said negotiators do not take such public statements seriously, and said the comments seemed to be designed mostly for domestic consumption. He expressed hope that the talks would resume next month in Washington, as expected. (Signed) NEB/PFH/JWH/KL 19-Aug-1999 14:22 PM EDT (19-Aug-1999 1822 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .