
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 23, 1993                   TAG: 9307230084
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

BELARUS GETS AID TO DESTROY ARMS

Defense Secretary Les Aspin and the defense minister of Belarus signed agreements Thursday to provide $59 million for dismantling and destroying nuclear weapons still in the former Soviet republic.

President Clinton met with Belarussian leader Stanislav Shuskevich at the White House and praised the nation for its decision to rid itself of the weapons.

"I very much appreciate the fact he has come here off of a successful commitment by his nation to being non-nuclear, and it means a lot to the United States and to the world," Clinton said.

The $59 million will be used for environmental restoration of former Soviet strategic rocket sites; to help provide military housing and retraining programs for decommissioned officers; and assistance to prevent the proliferation of technology and material for weapons of mass destruction, Aspin said. - Associated Press

by CNB