(19 Jun 1998) English/Nat

On the third and final day of his visit to Washington, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin called on Yugoslav leaders to act rationally to avoid NATO intervention in the widening crisis in Kosovo.

Jospin, whose homeland has faced censure for past nuclear tests, also urged Pakistan and India to sign a global test ban treaty following their explosion of nuclear devices last month.

On Friday, the French prime minister attended the opening session of
the U-S/French Business Council, met U-S Defence Secretary William Cohen and I-M-F officials.

Speaking to reporters and officials in Washington D-C on Friday, Lionel Jospin said NATO military action in Kosovo could be averted.

He said President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia needs behave more sensibly and withdraw his forces from the province.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We tried to use the influence of the Russian country on the Milosevic, to make progress, but we are not sure it will be enough. And we are looking in NATO organs -- the different hypotheses of using force if it necessary. So we are prepared to intervene."
SUPERCAPTION: Lionel Jospin, French Prime Minister

But while he supports the contact group's efforts on Kosovo, Jospin added what could become a condition for French participation in a military action.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We prefer that our forces if we have to do so, intervene on behalf of (the) United Nations and with the mandate of (the) United Nations for reasons of principle. It's because if you use force in conflicts, international conflicts, and mainly in internal conflicts to some extent, it's better to do it in the name of the law."
SUPERCAPTION: Lionel Jospin, French Prime Minister

The U-S and France have disagreed in the past on nuclear arms control, in particular on above ground testing conducted by France.

But Jospin said his country backs the strong U-S criticism of recent nuclear tests by India and Pakistan.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We must now convince these two countries to join the rest of the international community be acceding unconditionally to the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, and by participating in discussions on the cut off of production of weapons missile material. The international nonproliferation regime must not be undermined. It behoves us to find a way that this is the case."
SUPERCAPTION: Lionel Jospin, French Prime Minister

Jospin had met earlier Friday with Michel Camdessus, director of the International Monetary Fund and the man charged with helping Asia recover from its economic melt down.

While France wants to be major player in the global economy, Jospin says there needs to be controls on free markets around the world.

And on that point he borrowed from his socialist background.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Financial crisis in Asia or elsewhere are both a sign of a degree of market failure which legitimately calls for governmental action and points to the need for a certain degree of regulation of the world economy, at the centre of which stands the I-M-F and the G-7."
SUPERCAPTION: Lionel Jospin, French Prime Minister

Jospin also met with U-S Defence Secretary William Cohen and was to leave for New York City later on Friday to see U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

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