NATO LEADER TO LOBBY FOR ENLARGEMENT.

NATO Secretary General Javier Solana arrived in Moscow last night to launch the alliance’s latest attempt to ease Russian opposition to NATO enlargement. In remarks prior to his departure, Solana indicated that he would continue Brussel’s strategy of balancing NATO expansion plans with the offer of a special cooperative relationship between Russia and the Western alliance. Solana is scheduled to meet with Boris Yeltsin tomorrow. The visit to Moscow is his first since being named general secretary three months ago, and it is the first by a NATO chief in four years. (Reuter & UPI, March 19)

Perhaps not coincidentally, the presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland met yesterday and together urged the West to push ahead with NATO enlargement. Speaking in the Czech border town of Nachod, Vaclav Havel and Aleksander Kwasniewski rejected the notion that Russian opposition to enlargement was reason for delay. Each also made the point that NATO’s hesitancy could strengthen those extremist forces in Russia most opposed to enlargement. (Reuter, March 19)

EU-Russian Trade Talks In Moscow.