ACCESSION NUMBER:344856
FILE ID:EUR307
DATE:05/11/94
1ITLE:U.S. WOULD LIKE TO SEE RUSSIA A "PARTNER FOR PEACE" (05/11/94)
TEXT:*EUR307   05/11/94
U.S. WOULD LIKE TO SEE RUSSIA A "PARTNER FOR PEACE"
(But would not want it to have veto power in NATO) (380)
By Jim Shevis
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- Just as other former Warsaw Pact nations are eligible to
become limited partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
so too is Russia.

"We want the West to have a good relationship with Russia," a senior Clinton
administration official said May 11.  "But it's important for us that NATO
not be dominated by Russia, and that they not have veto power."

Speaking to reporters at a background briefing, the official said the United
States would welcome Russia's application to take part in the "Partnership
for Peace" program unveiled at the NATO summit meeting in January.

The program, which was proposed by the United States, lays out a blueprint
for any European country's eventual NATO membership after proving its
commitment to democracy, putting its military under civilian control, and
meeting other requirements.

With regard to Russia, "we want to avoid two extremes," the administration
official said: "first, that it (Russia) not feel isolated and, second, that
we are not in a process of confronting them."

The official said the "Partnership for Peace" program is the centerpiece of
NATO's current activities.

One of the reasons why NATO opted for limited membership, rather than
immediate, full membership in the security alliance, the official said, is
that membership in the security alliance requires the approval of each of
the 16 member-countries' parliaments.

"I suspect that today it would be impossible to get any single country past
every single parliament of the 16 countries," the official said.

Meanwhile, "Partnership for Peace" is finding wide acceptance in Europe, the
official said.

So far, 18 countries have signed framework documents, and five others are
considering doing so, the official said.  The documents spell out a
prospective member's resources and intentions.

Turkmenistan, the newest partner, signed on May 10, while Azerbaijan did so
on May 2, the official said.

Ultimate, full membership in NATO "is going to depend on what these
countries do to show their seriousness in engaging with the West; that's
instrumental to getting them ready for membership," the official said.

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