CLARK HOLDS TALKS WITH SHULTZ IN WASHINGTON
Foreign Secretary Joe Clark urged
the United States to take firm action on reducing "acid rain" and
on sticking with the strict interpretation of the
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty but said he won no promises.
    After a day of meetings with Vice President George Bush,
Secretary of State George Shultz and Commerce Secretary Malcolm
Baldrige, Clark told a press conference he was persuaded the
Reagan adminstration had begun to deal seriously with Canada
and its concerns.
    But he admitted he had won no assurances Washington would
go along with his government's position on several key
controversial issues.
    "There's a lot more attention to Canadian files. What
remains to be seen is how much progress will be achieved," he
told reporters.
    The meetings, which end today with talks on Capitol Hill,
are part of a routine U.S.-Canadian consultation but are also
expected to lay groundwork for a summit in Ottawa next month
between President Reagan and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
    Clark discouraged speculation that lack of a firm American
committment on the thorny issue of acid rain could render the
summit a failure.
    Canada is seeking evidence that Reagan is prepared to live
up to a commitment made last year to implement in the United
States a five-year five billion dlr U.S. program to test
cleaner ways of burning coal.
    "We expect the U.S. government to honor its commitment" and
discussed this with Shultz today, Clark said.
    "There's no question the matter is under serious detailed
consideration at the highest levels of the U.S. government," he
said, adding that Shultz "left my meeting today to attend a
(White House) cabinet meeting that was discussing this as well
as other questions."
    "We will wait and see the results of that examination," he
said.
    Clark also said he reiterated Canada's position that the
United States should adhere to a strict interpretation of the
1972 ABM treaty, the only remaining operative arms control
agreement.
 Reuter
