Voice of America 4/24/97

CONGRESS / NATO

BYLINE=PAULA WOLFSON
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:   THE U-S CONGRESS PLANS TO WEIGH
IN WITH ITS OWN SET OF  GUIDELINES FOR NATO
EXPANSION.   LEGISLATION IS BEING PREPARED
FOR  CONSIDERATION BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.  AND AS V-O-A'S PAULA
WOLFSON REPORTS, SUPPORTERS HOPE THE
MEASURE WILL BECOME LAW BEFORE THE JULY
NATO MEETING IN MADRID.

TEXT:    A POWERFUL GROUP OF HOUSE
MEMBERS IS SPONSORING THE BILL,  INCLUDING
THE CHAIRMEN OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
AND INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES.  THEY ARE
JOINED BY HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER DICK
ARMEY.

           ////ARMEY ACT////

I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR.  THIS
CONGRESS SUPPORTS NATO  ENLARGEMENT.
WE EXPECT NATO ENLARGEMENT TO PROCEED.
WE BELIEVE THAT  NATO ENLARGEMENT WILL
BRING CONTINUED PEACE TO EUROPE FOR
GENERATIONS TO COME.

           ////END ACT////

SUPPORTERS OF THE BILL SAY THE GOAL IS
MAKE SURE ALL THE EMERGING DEMOCRACIES
 OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE KNOW
THEY WILL BE WELCOME IN NATO.  HOUSE
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN BENJAMIN GILMAN (A NEW YORK
REPUBLICAN) NOTES ONLY THREE ARE LIKELY
TO BE INVITED IN JULY.  HE SAYS THE BILL
INSTRUCTS THE PRESIDENT TO PREPARE A
SECOND LIST OF COUNTRIES THAT SHOULD BE
CONSIDERED FOR MEMBERSHIP AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.

            ////GILMAN ACT////

THE FIRST-ROUND GROUP IS HUNGARY, POLAND
AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC.  WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT OTHER NATIONS THAT ARE ALMOST THERE,
BUT NEED A LITTLE MORE ATTENTION TO BE
ABLE TO MEET THE CRITERIA.

              ////END ACT////

THE BILL MENTIONS ROMANIA, ESTONIA,
LATVIA AND LITHUANIA AS CANDIDATES FOR
THE SECOND ROUND.  HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN PORTER GOSS (A
REPUBLICAN FROM FLORIDA) VISITED THE
REGION RECENTLY AND SAYS THE REASSURANCE
WILL BE WELCOME.

             ////GOSS ACT///

ANY OR ALL OF THE BALTICS ARE ABOUT READY,
IN MY VIEW, TO COME INTO THE NATO AREA.
ANY OR ALL OF THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE OUT
THERE AND ASKING TO COME IN ARE GOING
THROUGH EXTREME EFFORTS IN TERMS OF THEIR
NATIONAL DEFENSE, THEIR NATIONAL BUDGET,
THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE  WEST, DE-SOVIETIZATION
OF THE MILITARY -- ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS
ARE BEING MET.

                         ////END ACT////

THE DRAFT LEGISLATION ALSO SAYS THAT
RUSSIA'S CONCERNS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO
ACCOUNT.  IT SAYS NATO ENLARGEMENT SHOULD
BE CARRIED OUT IN A WAY THAT ENHANCES THE
SECURITY OF ALL THE COUNTRIES IN EUROPE,
INCLUDING RUSSIA.  AND IT CALLS FOR GREATER
COOPERATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MISSILE
DEFENSE SYSTEMS.

THERE IS SOME LANGUAGE IN THE BILL THAT
MIGHT CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THE  WHITE HOUSE
 -- MOST NOTABLY, A PROVISION THAT CALLS INTO
QUESTION THE FATE OF THE ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE
(A-B-M) TREATY.  IT SAYS THIS IS A BILATERAL
TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA,
AND THERE IS NO NEED TO BRING IN OTHER
FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS.  SUPPORTERS OF
THE BILL SEEM TO HAVE RECOGNIZED THE
POTENTIAL FOR WHITE HOUSE OBJECTIONS.
WHILE THE REST OF THE BILL WOULD BE BINDING
ON THE PRESIDENT, THIS SECTION WOULD NOT.
IT MERELY EXPRESSES THE POSITION OF THE
LEGISLATURE.  (SIGNED)

NEB/PW/RRM

24-Apr-97 1:27 PM EDT (1727 UTC)
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