TRANSCRIPT [EXCERPTS]: CHRISTOPHER INTERVIEW ON CNN JANUARY 17, 1997

INTERVIEW OF SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER
BY STEVE HURST, CNN-TV
January 17, 1997

HURST: You sat inside the councils of NATO as it suffered through what I like to call an "identity crisis" after the Cold War. NATO now says that identity crisis is over. It is moving forward with new goals for itself. It's going to be expanding at the NATO summit the early part of this year.

At the same time, that bothers the Russians no end, at least as they say in public. What can the United States -- what can NATO do to somehow finesse this problem, because it is real problem?

CHRISTOPHER: I don't think it needs to be finessed. It needs to be addressed. Now we've got the means of addressing it. At the last NATO meeting in December, there was a commitment by the Russians to begin a dialogue -- indeed, a negotiation -- with NATO.

In a few days, Secretary General Solana of NATO will be going to Russia to begin the discussion for what might be called a "charter" -- at least some kind of arrangement between NATO and Russia -- which will bring them closer to NATO, closer to Western Europe.

You know, it's been President Clinton's dream that we'll have finally a fully integrated Europe; and the steps that NATO will take to expand to the East, that's a commitment. It will be undertaken, of course, in the June or July summit, and then to bring NATO closer to Russia or vice versa is a way to move toward integration -- toward the integration of Europe.

I think there is the basis now for a discussion at highest levels between NATO officials and Russian officials on some kind of a charter.

In addition to that, Steve, of course, we'll continue our bilateral relationship with the Russians. Vice President Gore will be meeting with Prime Minister Chernomyrdin of Russia in the early part of February. We can help to supplement the NATO-Russia discussion by our bilateral discussions.

The following portion of the January 17, 1997, CNN interview was not broadcast live.)

HURST: Mr. Secretary, I'd like to back to Russia for just a second and, if we may, talk about the charter that you were speaking of. Can you give us any idea of what kind of issues that charter would be dealing with.

CHRISTOPHER: It will certainly be dealing with issues of consultation. What would be the mechanism for consultation within Russia and NATO? I think that's a very fruitful area for discussion between the two. I think there will be probably intensive discussions on CFE, the forces, how they are arrayed in Europe in the future, what the balance will be there. I think there is a good deal of promise in those discussions as well. I think there is a range of matters that might be discussed between NATO and Russia that can provide a mechanism for talking through these issues, a way to give reassurance on these issues.

Of course, there can be a number of other matters that will be discussed between NATO and Russia on various hypotheses.

HURST: Do you have a sense of commitment from the Russians to do this kind of negotiation?

CHRISTOPHER: Yes, I think they crossed that bridge in December in the NATO meeting when Primakov came there and said very conciliatory set of remarks that they were prepared to go forward with these discussions. I'm not suggesting that they were enthusiastic about enlargement or even fully acquiescent in it but I think they're accepting it as a reality and are prepared to go ahead with these discussions. We've had some fairly intensive discussions leading up to these meetings between NATO and Russia, preparing for them, and it's going to be a very important six months for NATO. I think before 1997 is over, NATO will have taken giant strides in what's called adaptation, the discussions about bringing the French fully into the NATO forces.