950803

Asian, Pacific nations

criticize France

for N-test

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, (Brueni): Asian and Pacific countries on Wednesday soundly criticized France for its planned resumption of nuclear tests in the south Pacific, and Australia called it a betrayal of trust.

But the European Union defended France against the broadsides by 13 foreign ministers and other government representatives at a multinational conference.

"Countries which persist with testing programs are seriously out of step with the international community," Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans said in his speech.

The French resumption and the nuclear tests by China. "Have betrayed the trust of many countries," Evans told the conference organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

French deputy foreign minister Michel Barnier, attending as an EU member, said the nuclear plan was "In the interests of the European region because of our nuclear dissuasion force, which promotes European stability."

The criticism against France came a day after a joint statement by 19 Asia-Pacific nations at an ASEAN regional forum meeting called for an immediate end to nuclear testing in the region.

But the EU, also a member of the regional forum, dissociated itself from that part of the statement, saying the international community does not yet have the right to enforce such a ban.

"It is to show our solidarity. Even if one country makes a strong stand on a major issue we will stand behind them," Javier Solanas Madriaga, president of the council of the EU, told repoters.

Evans told reporters later that France's decision to recall its ambassador from Australia showed that "the Australian and international reaction is starting to sting."

"The meaning is clearly getting through," he said.

But, he said, Australia will not recall its ambassador from Paris. He said he would keep the lines of communications open, hoping that good sense would prevail.

France withdrew its ambassador Tuesday after Australia rejected the French aerospace company Dassault as a bidder for a multimillion-dollar contract to replace its aging air force jet trainers.

On Burma, Evans and US Secretary of State Warren Christopher told the conference that having released opposition leader Augn San Suu Kyi, the military government should now resolve other problems such as human rights before being fully accepted by the international community.-AP