Voice of America, 97-10-11

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] EUROPE SUMMIT (S&L) BY JULIAN NUNDY (PARIS)

[01] EUROPE SUMMIT (S&L) BY JULIAN NUNDY (PARIS)

INTRO: THE 40-NATION COUNCIL OF EUROPE, BRINGING TOGETHER WESTERN EUROPE AND THE FORMER COMMUNIST STATES OF THE EAST OF THE CONTINENT, HAVE ADOPTED A PLAN OF ACTION FOR THE NEXT CENTURY THAT IS AIMED AT REINFORCING DEMOCRACY. THE DECLARATION ALSO INCLUDES A BAN ON THE CLONING OF HUMAN BEINGS. JULIAN NUNDY REPORTS FROM PARIS.

TEXT: THE TWO-DAY SUMMIT MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE IN STRASBOURG ENDED WITH A FINAL STATEMENT DEFINING THE GOALS OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE NEXT CENTURY.

APART FROM LAYING DOWN SOCIAL AIMS, A CALL TO COMBAT RACISM, AND A DECISION TO MAKE A REVAMPED EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE ORDINARY CITIZEN, THE COUNCIL ALSO OUTLAWED THE CLONING OF HUMANS.

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, FOUNDED 48 YEARS AGO, ONLY INCLUDES THOSE COUNTRIES WHOSE INSTITUTIONS MEET THE CRITERIA FOR DEMOCRACY DRAWN UP JUST AFTER WORLD WAR TWO.

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE 1990S, MANY FORMER COMMUNIST STATES HAVE QUALIFIED TO JOIN. //OPT//ONE OF THOSE IS RUSSIA, REPRESENTED AT THE SUMMIT BY PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN.

DELEGATES FROM OTHER EX-COMMUNIST COUNTRIES WELCOMED PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S SPEECH TO THE SUMMIT WHICH CONCENTRATED ON EUROPEAN DEMOCRATIC VALUES. THEY SAID THE SUMMIT HELPED TO CONFIRM RUSSIA'S NEW INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH ITS EUROPEAN NEIGHBORS.//END OPT///

AMONG THE AGREEMENTS SIGNED AT THE SUMMIT ARE CONVENTIONS TO PREVENT TORTURE AND TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES. OTHERS DEAL WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME AND THE DRUGS TRADE.

HE MADE THE APPEAL JUST BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED IN OSLO THAT THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST LANDMINES HAD WON THIS YEAR'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE. PRESIDENT YELTSIN, DESPITE RUSSIA'S EARLIER RELUCTANCE TO SIGN THE PACT, IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED THAT RUSSIA WILL ABIDE BY THE LANDMINES TREATY.

CZECH PRESIDENT VACLAV HAVEL, REPRESENTING ONE OF THE COUNCIL'S NEWER MEMBERS, SAID HIS COUNTRY AND OTHER FORMER COMMUNIST STATES REGARDED MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL AS AN IMPORTANT STEP TO REINFORCE THEIR NEW-FOUND DEMOCRACY.

BUT MR. HAVEL SAID EUROPEANS MUST GUARD AGAINST TURNING THEIR CONTINENT INTO A FORTRESS BLIND TO THE NEEDS OF OTHER PEOPLES IN THE WORLD. THIS, HE SAID, WOULD LEAD EUROPE TO THE EDGE OF "A PRECIPICE." (SIGNED)
NEB/JN/DW/KL
11-Oct-97 11:43 AM EDT (1543 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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