ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1997 TAG: 9702190071
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
SOURCE: Associated Press
Trying to ease concerns in Moscow, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright proposed Tuesday that NATO form a joint military brigade with Russia for peacekeeping operations in Europe.
Based on successful cooperation in implementing the Dayton peace accords in Bosnia, Albright said Russian and NATO troops could also train together under the concept she presented to allied foreign ministers in Brussels.
She will take the idea to Moscow on Thursday for meetings with President Boris Yeltsin, Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov and other Kremlin officials who take a skeptical and anxious view of NATO's planned expansion to Russia's western border by 1999.
Albright, who is also working with the allies on a charter linking Russia to NATO, said in a speech, ``We will be steadfast in offering Russia our respect, our friendship and an appropriate partnership.''
``We cannot realize our shared vision of a united, secure and democratic Europe without Russia,'' she said.
With the 16-nation NATO primed to offer membership at a summit in July to former Soviet allies - most likely Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary - the United States, France and other allies are searching for ways to allay Russia's anxieties.
As a result, NATO is increasingly finding ways to link Russia more tightly to the Western alliance, while denying it membership. Albright explained that ``we are trying to include Russia as much as possible,'' but the allies also want to avoid giving Moscow a veto over military actions that membership would provide.
In such instances, she said, ``we will act as the alliance'' - without Russia's approval.
The foreign ministers did not act on the proposal for a brigade, an idea that originated two years ago in NATO's military headquarters. ``We are just beginning to think about it,'' Secretary-General Javier Solana told reporters.
Albright also called for a meeting in the spring with prospective new NATO members ``to give every ally a chance for direct discussion'' before the July summit in Madrid, Spain.
Turkey has threatened to block NATO expansion if it does not gain membership in the European Union. However, a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller ``did not in any way threaten a veto'' at Tuesday's meeting, and, in fact, voiced strong support.
Albright, meanwhile, gave Turkey's bid a push, saying membership in the European Union would be in Turkey's national interest.
Former Russia Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev, among others, opposes NATO's spread eastward, warning it could humiliate Russia and strengthen the hand of neo-fascists already in conflict with reformers in Moscow.
A growing number of former American diplomats and private analysts have questioned the wisdom of the expansion.
And in Congress, there are questions about the cost of expansion.
Albright said the administration will provide a report. She declined to estimate the cost. But depicting an expanded NATO as a force for stability in Europe, she told reporters: ``The cost of prevention is always much lower than dealing with the cost of conflict.''
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB