unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (10/11/89)
Soviet Union has considered i a threat in the past and has tried
to negotiate it away. Do you still conside the American
Strategic Defense Initiative a threat? Would you still like to
see it go away?
A: Could you answer the question I would like to pose to you.
Are you aware of what SDI actually is? Could you explain to me
what SDI is. What is (Laughter)
Q: If I could explain it to you, then I could trade places with
you. (Laughter) Apparently your government considers it enough
of a threat or enou of an issue that they have tried repeatedly
to negotiate it away. Apparently they knew what they were
trying to negotiate away. Could you discuss it in those terms?
A: Yes, I can explain it to you. As long as we are talking now
on reduc strategic offensive arms, evidently the final objective
of this negotiating process is the anihilation of nuclear
inventories of the sides. As long as ou final objective in
terms of nuclear weapons is complete anihilation of nuclear
weapons, what will SDI have as objectives? It wouldn't have any
objectives to be directed (inaudible).
We believe in the past, and we believe now, that the attempt to
develop and create SDI is an attempt to encourage another cycle
of the arms race to involve the Soviet Union into the arms
race. What explicitly the Soviet Union declared that we are
against spreading the race into outer space and that we i the
Soviet Union do not intend to create any similar SDI, space-based
weapon systems.
So far the SDI project does not have any specific limits to it.
If we continue to confirm or persist that the American SDI is
threatening the Soviet Union, then the negotiating process would
be hampered greatly. It would be impossible to reach agreements
on START. So we decided not to make the SDI an absolute
precondition which would hamper the process in this regard. And
also that the SDI is something hypothetical and nothing
practical.
Q: Mr. Minister, how does the concept of perestroika apply to
the Soviet military? What changes have taken place? What
changes can we expect? Would it be normal to expect that the
Defense Minister would be a civilian under parastroyka?
A: It is difficult for me to answer this question explicitly. I
mean, when you have in mind whether we are going to have a
civilian Minister of Defense in the years ahead, starting from
the years of the old Russia, the Russia of Kiev, the military
power has always been led by a military man,--the men that were
knowledgable in the field of tactics and strategy. (Inaudible)
in the Soviet Union, the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
(inaudible) otherwise and might decide to have a civilian person as
head of the Department of Defens in the Soviet Union. This is
not a question of principle, I believe. Whoever is going to be
appointed will have to face the responsibility of heading the
military of defense. I don't believe that a Minister of Defense
would have (inaudible) to drop from a plane with a parachute.
The Minister of Defense is more of a political analyst and a
politician. But on the other hand, it is difficult to separate
perfectly the military affairs from the political affair
As far as the question of how the Soviet military are referring
to the perestroika going on in the Soviet Union, we all are
supporting the renewal processes in our society. The renewal in
the Soviet military is not as noticed as it is noticeable in the
national economy. We are trying to put more democractic more
(inaudible) in the relationships among (inaudible). We are
supporting more and more openness in the relations among the
military. You understand that perestroika was not comprised of
(inaudible). Perestroika was intended to bring about a renewal
of the relations in the Soviet society as a whole. And you must
understand the renewal processes have touched upon the ways of
the military in our armed forces.
I want to give you one example. Among the Deputies of the new
Supreme Soviet there are 93 military officers. We have there a
military cadet (inaudible almost any military grade you name it.
(Inaudible) on his own initiative for the Office of the Deputy
and was supported by (inaudible) constituency. The opposing
member who was a general officer was defeated in the election
campaig So (inaudible) armed forces.
At the latest session of the Supreme Soviet there were lieutenant
colonel that voted against the proposal of the Minister of
Defense of the Soviet Union (Inaudible) of the Minister of
Defense. So these are the rights enjoyed by al the citizens of
our society.
So to a certain extent the perestroika processes have already
been practi in the armed forces of the USSR.
Secretary Cheney: If I may, Ladies and Gentlemen, in light of
the hour, thank the Defense Minister for his remarks. I would
like to at this point say that I accept his kind invitation to
visit the Soviet Union on a date to be determined. And I look
forward to having the opportunity to return the visit, the
historic first visit ever, by the Soviet Defense Minister to the
United States.
Thank you.
Minister Yazov: Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, and goodbye.
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