Voice of America 3/26/97
INDIA / RUSSIA (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JENNIFER GRIFFIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER IS FINISHING A THREE DAY VISIT TO MOSCOW, IN WHICH THE TWO COUNTRIES' LEADERS DISCUSSED DEALS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND WEAPONS. JENNIFER GRIFFIN REPORTS FOR VOA FROM MOSCOW THAT THE AGREEMENTS COULD UPSET THE DELICATE MILITARY BALANCE IN SOUTH ASIA.
TEXT: THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER, H.D. DEVE GOWDA, SAYS INDIA PLANS TO BUY TWO RUSSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS FOR ITS SOUTHERN STATE OF TAMIL NADU -- A PLAN THAT U-S OFFICIALS SAY MAKES THEM NERVOUS. THE U-S OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE WORRIED OVER THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY -- WHICH EARNED RUSSIA NEARLY TWO BILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR -- COULD LEAD TO A PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
RUSSIA HAS ALSO PROMISED TO DELIVER 40 "SU-30" FIGHTER JETS TO INDIA BY THE YEAR 2000 UNDER A DEAL SIGNED IN NOVEMBER. ITS SPACE AGENCY HAS AGREED TO START SUPPLYING INDIA WITH ROCKET BOOSTERS. AND THE INDIAN MILITARY WANTS TO BUY A STATE-OF-THE-ART RUSSIAN AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM.
//OPT// SUCH DEALS ARE LIKELY TO IRRITATE PAKISTAN, WITH WHOM INDIA HAS A LONGSTANDING DISPUTE, AND COULD FUEL AN EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS ARMS RACE IN SOUTH ASIA. INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE FOUGHT THREE WARS SINCE THEY SPLIT AFTER INDEPENDENCE FROM BRITAIN IN 1947. AND BOTH ARE AMONG THE WORLD' S UNDECLARED NUCLEAR POWERS. //END OPT//
DURING THE COLD WAR, RUSSIA AND INDIA WERE FRIENDS -- GOOD FRIENDS, EVEN THOUGH INDIA WAS TECHNICALLY NON-ALIGNED. NOW IN THE AFTERMATH -- AS RUSSIA TRIES TO EKE OUT A LIVING BY BECOMING THE WORLD'S LARGEST ARMS SELLER -- RUSSIA AND INDIA MAY AGAIN BECOME STRATEGICALLY LINKED. AFTER MEETING THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER TUESDAY, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN SAID RUSSIA AND INDIA HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR MANY DECADES AND THEY REMAIN FRIENDS. HE CALLED INDIA A STABILIZING FORCE IN THE REGION.
//OPT// IN A HEATED DISPUTE REMINISCENT OF THE COLD WAR, THE TENSION BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA HAS LED TO STRAINED RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND ITS NEIGHBOR UKRAINE, WHICH HAS AGREED TO SELL TANKS TO PAKISTAN. OUT OF LOYALTY TO INDIA, RUSSIA STOPPED SUPPLYING UKRAINE WITH TANK PARTS AS A PUNISHMENT. //END OPT//
FOR THE TIME BEING, AS LONG AS RUSSIA HAS WEAPONS TO SELL, AND INDIA HAS THE MONEY TO BUY THEM, THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN FRIENDS. (SIGNED)
NEB/JG/PCF
26-Mar-97 6:31 AM EST (1131 UTC)
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