ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 12, 1996 TAG: 9612120050
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BRUSSELS
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune
Russia agreed Wednesday to begin negotiations with NATO on a post-Cold War security relationship, but Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov said the alliance's decision to expand eastward inevitably would lead to a new division of Europe.
Primakov met for the first time with NATO foreign ministers to discuss these issues. Afterward, Secretary of State Warren Christopher called it a ``very positive'' meeting. He said he was ``very pleased'' Russia had agreed to cooperate despite its concerns about NATO expansion to Eastern Europe.
``Enlargement can lead to the full integration of Europe,'' Christopher told American correspondents. ``We have started down the road to a unified Europe, one of President Clinton's dreams. Russian fears can be discussed as we start into intensive negotiations with them.''
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said he was delighted by Moscow's ``constructive attitude.''
State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said, ``These will be serious negotiations, but they have a fair chance of succeeding.''
NATO hopes to have an agreement with Russia on a security charter in time for a NATO summit in Madrid, Spain, July 8-9. But officials stressed that the initial invitation to some East European states to join NATO will be issued then even if there is no agreement with the Russians.
The Russians have made clear since 1994 their opposition to NATO expansion. But this was the first time they have committed themselves to negotiations on a charter to guide their relationship with NATO.
Primakov said the NATO decision announced Tuesday, to refrain from putting nuclear weapons in the new member states, was a positive development. But he said Russia was not happy that NATO declined to rule out stationing troops in these states.
``We are certainly looking for ways to prevent that and to resolve any concerns that we may have,'' he said.
He told NATO ministers he was ``disappointed'' with their decision on expansion. ``It will lead to a new division in Europe, whether intended or not,'' he said. Such a division would be ``unacceptable from a strategic, military, from any point of view,'' he added.
``We think that security should be indivisible. Security should not be security for some. Security should extend to all of Europe.''
Primakov restated the Russian position, repeatedly rejected by the West, that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, rather than NATO, should be the key organization in European security.
NATO has decided that its secretary-general, Javier Solana, will handle the negotiations with Primakov, but Burns said the United States would give a helping hand.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 linesby CNB