Russia hails ASEAN's bid for nuclear weapons ban

Russia hails ASEAN's bid for nuclear weapons ban

JAKARTA (JP): Russia came out yesterday in support of ASEAN's
battle for a ban on nuclear weapons.

Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov said after
meeting with President Soeharto that Moscow expects prompt
implementation of the agreement on nuclear arms ban.

"All of us together want the nuclear weapon ban agreement
implemented as soon as possible," Primakov told journalists
after paying a courtesy call on President Soeharto.

In their joint communique issued here on Sunday, ASEAN foreign
ministers urged all nuclear weapon states to extend their
cooperation by acceding to the protocol of the Southeast Asian
Nuclear Weapon Free Zone agreement.

Signed by ASEAN leaders in a summit in Bangkok last December,
the agreement calls for a ban on producing, owning, using and
stockpiling nuclear weapons.

The United States refused to sign the agreement last year,
saying it had reservations on several items of the agreement.

Primakov said he and the President exchanged views on how to
create stability in the region and on the latest development in
the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula.

Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said Primakov also
delivered a "private" letter from Russian President Boris Yeltsin
to President Soeharto.

According to Moerdiono, Yeltsin invited Soeharto to visit
Russia.

"In fact, President Boris Yeltsin planned to visit Indonesia
late last year but he had to cancel it for one reason or
another," Moerdiono said.

Primakov arrived here Sunday to attend the ASEAN Regional
Forum ministerial meeting today and the post-ministerial meetings
on Wednesday and Thursday. (pan)