Not So Fast, Helmut and Kiichi

By Janice Castro

% Nuclear proliferation and peacekeeping efforts top the official agenda for the Manhattan summit meeting next week of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. But the real reason that Britain, which currently heads the council, called the summit is to resolve the question of who controls the Soviet Union's seat. Germany and Japan have been pressing for permanent membership, and there have been calls for a European Community seat. British Prime Minister JOHN MAJOR wants neither to expand the membership nor to dilute Britain's influence by adding the E.C. vote. Major's solution: lock up Yeltsin's claim to a seat for Russia as quickly as possible.

With reporting by Wendy Cole