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)