Extracts.
Russia to Preferentially Develop Military Cooperation With CIS Military
Allies
Russia on Saturday vowed to preferentially develop military-technological
cooperation with signatories of the CIS Collective Security Treaty.
The principle is adopted as one of the two state concepts on Russia's
military-technological cooperation during a Saturday government meeting
chaired by President Vladimir Putin.
President Putin said at the Kremlin meeting that it was necessary to
"determine the principles of relationships in the sphere of
military-technological cooperation with the signatories of the treaty,"
which include Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan.
"Military-technological cooperation with the treaty nations must contribute
in every possible way to the promotion of the security of those countries,"
the president noted.
Deputy Defense Minister Mikhail Dmitriev told journalists after the meeting
that the president demanded to clarify "what those countries expect to get
and what Russia can give them."
Dmitriev quoted Putin as saying that Russia's relations with the treaty
members are allied, and this alliance has a military aspect among other
characters.
The meeting also considered the concept on military contacts with Western
states for the period of up to 2010.
Putin said "both concepts are basic and they determine the state's policies
on promoting military-technological cooperation."
He said elaboration of the concepts is most important thing today since "new
regional centers and new security systems are now emerging in the world, and
the balance of military-political forces is changing," while
"military-technological cooperation is an effective instrument to influence
these processes."
Dmitriev said the president "expects work on implementing the two concepts
to be started right away" without any more delay.
In accordance with the approved concepts, he said that "work is proceeding
on concrete plans of further work in the sphere of military-technological
cooperation, including on the policy of prices, which is bound to be
profitable."
****
S. Korean Tourists Can Tour Mt. Kumgang by Overland Vehicles Next Year
South Koreans can visit the Mount Kumgang in the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2002 by overland vehicle under a newly-reached
inter-Korean tourism agreement.
At a press conference held here Sunday, Hyundai Asian President Kim
Yoon-kyu, who returned from the DPRK Saturday, said his company and DPRK's
Asia-Pacific Peace Committee agreed to open a 13.7-kilometer overland
tourist route from South Korea's Paju to DPRK's Kosong, which is close to
the scenic mountains.
The land route program is hoped to be launched within the second half of
this year. The construction work is likely to take eight months once the
governments in Seoul and Pyongyang sign an agreement and remove all
landmines buried on the route since the 1950-1953 Korean War, Kim said.
Some 50-80 million U.S. dollars will be needed for the construction and the
money could be loaned from the official fund for inter-Korean cooperation.
At the conference, Kim also pointed out that the sea route program to the
same area, which opened in 1998, will continue. It takes some 12 hours to
the mountain from South Korea
In the agreement, the Hyundai Asian has promised to pay the accrued fees of
22 million dollars it owes to the DPRK as early as possible based on the
company's cash flow, and the DPRK Asia- Pacific Committee agreed to readjust
the payment scheme in proportion to the actual number of tourists.
****
Saddam Blasts Smart Sanctions, Urges Iraq to Prepare for "New Confrontation"
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said Saturday that his country should prepare
for "a new confrontation", in a fresh attack by Baghdad on the plans for a
revision of the sanctions regime imposed on Iraq by the UN.
"We are on the eve of a new confrontation. That is why it is our duty to be
prepared for it", Saddam said during a cabinet meeting to discuss the "smart
sanctions".
Britain, with US backing, has put forward a draft that would abolish the
embargo on civilian trade with Iraq, while tightening a weapons ban and
controls on smuggling outside a UN oil-for-food deal.
"The main goal of the enemy is to break Iraq's national will and colonise us
with new methods and under new names", Hussein said, explaining "this could
be through controlling Iarqi funds and by preventing Iraq from developing
itself".
Earlier Saturday, an Iraqi foreign ministry official said Iraq no longer
considers itself bound by the oil-for-food programme after the UN renewed
the humanitarian programme for only one month as opposed to its customary
six-month renewal.
"The UN has violated the letter of this agreement in prolonging it by one
month instead of six," said Naji al-Hadithi, state minister at Iraq's
foreign ministry, to reporters.
"When a party violates its commitments this means that the agreement has
been broken and Iraq will act in consequence," Hadithi said.
"Iraq believes itself equally exempt as of all engagements within the body
of this agreement have been revoked" by the UN, he said.
On June 1, the UN Security Council agreed to a one-month roll over the
oil-for-food programme, while the council debated British and US efforts to
push through a revised form of the economic sanctions, which have been
enforced against Baghdad since its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Iraq retaliated by halting all sales from the oil-for-food programme as of
June 4, which amount to an estimated 2.4 million barrels per day.
The oil-for-food programme, in operation since late 1996, permits the sale
of Iraqi oil under the supervision of the UN in order to provide
humanitarian aid for Iraq's general population.
However, the programme has come under attack internationally for the
Security Council's delays and blocks on items purchased for Iraq's civilian
population, based on the argument the purchased items have a dual military
use.
Hadithi said Iraq would be in favour of renewing the programme on the
condition that the UN "does not advance or add new conditions."
He explained the one-month extension of the programme "signified a stop to
the agreement because in imposing such a resolution on the UN, the United
States and Britain were modifying an agreement that the UN had passed with
Iraq."
Hadithi emphasised the flow of oil to its neighbours -- Jordan, Syria and
Turkey -- outside of UN controls would continue, unless the countries decide
to support the US and British sanctions campaign.
Iraq delivers some five million tonnes of oil per year to Jordan through a
special UN exemption, while an estimated 100,000 bpd is smuggled to Turkey
and an estimated 150,000 bpd flows into Syria via a pipeline.
Meanwhile, Iraqi parliament speaker Saddun Hammadi lashed out Saturday at
the British and US-backed "smart" sanctions as a ploy to place the Iraqi
people under the "permanent tutelage" of the United Nations.
In talks with former UN aid coordinator Hans von Sponeck who has turned into
an anti-sanctions campaigner, Hammadi said the new regime aimed "to place
the Iraqi people under the permanent tutelage of the United Nations," the
official INA news agency reported.
Newspapers also made clear Baghdad's rejection of the proposed UN
resolution, introduced by Britain, to reform sanctions.
The United States will "suffer a defeat if it insists on a vote on a new
resolution", warned Babel, a newspaper run by President Saddam Hussein's
elder son, Uday.
Von Sponeck and his predecessor Denis Halliday who both resigned from their
UN post in protest at sanctions, warned in Amman on Friday on their way to
Baghdad that smart sanctions would only aggravate the plight of Iraqis.
During a 10-day visit, the former Baghdad-posted UN officials are due to
hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz as well as travel to
Kurdish-held northern Iraq.
Experts from Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and
the United States-- will meet on June 12 and 13 to discuss British-US and
Russian proposals on the application of the UN embargo on trade with Iraq,
Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Saturday diplomatic sources as saying.
****
3 Palestinian Women Killed by Israeli Tank Fire
Three Palestinian Bedouin women were killed overnight by an tank shell fired
by Israeli army in the southern Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported Sunday.
The radio quoted Palestinian hospital sources as saying that at least four
other members of the family, living in a camp near the Jewish settlement of
Netzarim, were wounded, some of them seriously.
Defending its tank fire, an Israeli army spokesman said that the forces
"only returned fire after identifying two armed figures in an open area near
Netzarim, who were shooting at three Israeli army outposts in the Netzarim
settlement."
He confirmed that Israeli tanks fired three shells, one of which, according
to the radio, probably hit the tent. No Israeli injuries were reported in
the incident and witnesses nearby said that they never heard any shooting at
that time.
The deaths of the three Palestinian women were the first of its kind since
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat announced a ceasefire on June 2.
So far, the eight-month-old violence between Israel and the Palestinians has
caused over 570 deaths, most of the victims Palestinians.
The general situation on the ground is relatively quiet despite sporadic
incidents, including a clash near the West Bank city of Ramallah on
Saturday, in which about 16 Palestinian youths were injured by Israeli
soldiers' bullets.
****
Vietnamese Communist Party Asks Nation to Fulfill National Development
Targets
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee
(CPVCC) Nong Duc Manh called on entire Vietnamese Party members and the
whole nation to strive to successfully fulfill the targets of this year's
national socio- economic development and create momentum for the development
in the following years.
The Vietnamese Party leader made the call while delivering a closing speech
at the second plenum of the ninth Central Committee of CPV that took place
in Hanoi on Saturday and Sunday, according to a Communique of CPVCC on
Sunday.
He said the most important task of the entire Party was to immediately
translate the ninth Party Congress Resolution into the daily life and
successfully implement the Resolution right in the first year of the
five-year plan up to 2005 and the 10-year Strategy for Socio-Economic
Development up to 2010.
Manh emphasized that it was predicted that challenges and difficulties were
even bigger in the months to come. Therefore, the tasks for the remaining
period of the year were heavier for the entire Party and the entire people,
who had no other way than to make greater efforts to obtain the
socio-economic targets for 2001.
He stressed that efforts should be made to push up economic restructuring,
develop products of high competitiveness and promote marketing campaigns.
External economy should be efficiently expanded, including efforts to
encourage, support and create all best possible conditions to boost export
operations and draw in foreign investment, spur demand in both investment
and consumption.
Manh also called for a regular effort to build up the Party, describing it a
key factor in the Party's leadership and guideline task.
The two-day plenum agreed to Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh's
proposal not to hold the post as Chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly
(NA). And the session made a presentation of personnel to the ninth session
of the tenth NA for consideration to elect to the NA Chairmanship in
accordance with the country's Constitution and laws.
The plenum also discussed reports on the country's socio- economic situation
in the first six months of 2001 and the tasks for the next six months, a
project on Son La hydro-power plant and other issues.
****
US Demonstrators Protest Bush's Missile Defense Plan
Under a summer scorching sun, more than 500 people gathered outside the
White House Sunday to protest against US President George W. Bush's plan to
deploy a controversial missile defense system.
While shouting "We Want Peace," the demonstrators carried placards
proclaiming "Ban War in Space" and "Stop the New Arms Race."
The protest came ahead of Bush's departure Monday for Europe where the
missile defense system is expected to figure prominently at his talks with
leaders of NATO allies and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Arms control experts said that the US missile defense plan, which has met
objections from the international community, will not only spark a new arms
race, but also threaten world peace and security, and stimulate nuclear
proliferation.
"We know that for Europe, for the rest of the world, the real region of
concern is the United States," said Susan Wand, director of the Women's
Action for New Directions.
****
Thousands in Madrid Protest Bush Visit
Thousands of Spaniards marched peacefully through downtown Madrid on Sunday
to protest the upcoming visit of President Bush.
Demonstrators carried signs saying ``Bush Go Home'' and criticized the
president's stance on the death penalty, the environment and trade, as they
marched from Madrid's Plaza de Espana to the Puerta del Sol square.
Bush arrives Tuesday in the Spanish capital for talks with conservative
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on the initial stop of his first major
overseas trip.
The six-day, five-nation tour will put Bush face to face with European
leaders critical of his policies on missile defense, trade and the
environment.
In Spain, unions, anti-globalization and anti-death penalty groups have
planned several days of protests.
Spanish foreign minister Josep Pique said Sunday he understood the desire to
protest against capital punishment during Bush's visit because
``unfortunately in American society a majority is still in favor of the
death penalty.''
Police estimated more than 2,500 people attended the rally, filling the
four-lane Gran Via boulevard for about an hour. A helicopter hovered
overhead.
At the Puerta del Sol, a banner stretched across the speaker's platform
said: ``No to interventionism. No to neoliberal globalization. No to the
destruction of the climate.''
``The visit of Bush represents the evil image of the Empire,'' union leader
Adolfo Jimenez told the crowd.
``We cannot but condemn the cooperation of the Spanish government with the
United States'' by allowing American troops on Spanish bases, he added. Some
3,500 Americans are stationed on military bases in Spain.
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