THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(New York, New York)
______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 6, 2000
Strategic Stability Cooperation Initiative
between the United States of America and Russian Federation
Text of the Joint Statement and Implementation Plan
JOINT STATEMENT
Strategic Stability Cooperation Initiative
President William Jefferson Clinton of the United States of America and
President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation met today in New York
and agreed on a Strategic Stability Cooperation Initiative as a
constructive basis for strengthening trust between the two sides and for
further development of agreed measures to enhance strategic stability and
to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, missiles and
missile technologies worldwide. In furtherance of this initiative, the two
Presidents approved an implementation plan developed by their experts as a
basis for continuing this work.
The Strategic Stability Cooperation Initiative builds on the Presidents?
agreement in their two previous meetings. The Joint Statement on
Principles of Strategic Stability, adopted in Moscow on June 4, 2000, and
the Joint Statement on Cooperation on Strategic Stability, adopted in
Okinawa on July 21, 2000, establish a constructive basis for progress in
further reducing nuclear weapons arsenals, preserving and strengthening the
ABM Treaty, and confronting new challenges to international security. The
United States and Russia reaffirm their commitment to the ABM Treaty as a
cornerstone of strategic stability. The United States and Russia intend to
implement the provisions of the START I and INF Treaties, to seek early
entry into force of the START II Treaty and its related Protocol, the 1997
New York agreements on ABM issues and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty, and to work towards the early realization of the 1997 Helsinki
Joint Statement on Parameters on Future Reductions in Nuclear Forces. The
United States and Russia also intend to seek new forms of cooperation in
the area of non-proliferation of missiles and missile technologies with a
view to strengthening international security and maintaining strategic
stability within the framework of the Strategic Stability Cooperation
Initiative between our two countries.
The Strategic Stability Cooperation Initiative could include, along with
expansion of existing programs, new initiatives aimed at strengthening the
security of our two countries and of the entire world community and without
prejudice to the security of any state.
START III Treaty and ABM Treaty. The United States and Russia have
presented their approaches to the principal provisions of the START III
Treaty and on ABM issues. The United States and Russia have held
intensified discussions on further reductions in strategic offensive forces
within the framework of a future START III Treaty and on ABM issues, with a
view to initiating negotiations expeditiously, in accordance with the
Moscow Joint Statement of September 2, 1998, the Cologne Joint Statement of
June 20, 1999 and the Okinawa Joint Statement of July 21, 2000 by the two
Presidents. They will seek to agree upon additional measures to strengthen
strategic stability and confidence, and to ensure predictability in the
military field.
NPT, CTBT, FMCT, BWC and Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones. The United States and
Russia reaffirm their commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons as the foundation of the international nuclear
non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament regime.
The United States and Russia will seek to ensure early entry into force and
effective implementation of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
They will continue to work to begin negotiations to conclude a Fissile
Material Cutoff Treaty and to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention.
They will continue to facilitate the establishment of nuclear weapon-free
zones in the world, based on voluntary agreements among states in the
relevant region, consistent with the relevant 1999 Report of the United
Nations Disarmament Commission, as an important avenue for efforts to
prevent nuclear weapons proliferation.
Discussions of issues related to the threat of proliferation of missiles
and missile technology. The United States and Russia are prepared to
expand their discussions of issues related to the threat of proliferation
of missiles and missile technologies. These discussions will include
annual briefings based on assessments of factors and events related to
ballistic and cruise missile proliferation. Annual assessments will
address potential threats to international security. With a view to
preventing the proliferation of missiles and weapons of mass destruction,
political and diplomatic measures will be discussed and undertaken, using
bilateral and multilateral mechanisms.
Cooperation in the area of Theater Missile Defense. The United States and
Russia are prepared to resume and then expand cooperation in the area of
Theater Missile Defense (TMD), and also to consider the possibility of
involving other states, with a view to strengthening global and regional
stability.
The sides will consider as specific areas of such cooperation:
- Expansion of the bilateral program of joint TMD command
and staff exercises.
- Possibility of involving other states in joint TMD
command and staff exercises.
- Possibility of development of methods for enhanced
interaction for joint use of TMD systems.
- Joint development of concepts for possible cooperation in
TMD systems.
- Possibility of reciprocal invitation of observers to
actual firings of TMD systems.
Early warning information. The United States and Russia, in implementation
of the Memorandum of Agreement between the United States of America and the
Russian Federation on the Establishment of a Joint Center for the Exchange
of Data from Early Warning Systems and Notification of Missile Launches
signed in Moscow on June 4, 2000, intend to establish and put into
operation in Moscow within a year the joint center for exchange of data to
preclude the possibility of missile launches caused by a false missile
attack warning. The Parties will also make efforts to come to an early
agreement on a regime for exchanging notifications of missile launches,
consistent with the statement of the Presidents at Okinawa on July 21,
2000.
Missile Non-Proliferation measures. The United States and Russia intend to
strengthen the Missile Technology Control Regime. They declare their
commitment to seek new avenues of cooperation with a view to limiting
proliferation of missiles and missile technologies. Consistent with the
July 21, 2000, Joint Statement of the Presidents at Okinawa, they will work
together with other states on a new mechanism to integrate, inter alia, the
Russian proposal for a Global Control System for Non-Proliferation of
Missiles and Missile Technologies (GCS), the U.S. proposal for a missile
code of conduct, as well as the MTCR.
Confidence and transparency-building measures. Bearing in mind their
obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,
the United States and Russia will seek to expand cooperation related to the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to promote a mutually
beneficial technical exchange that will facilitate the implementation of
the CTBT after its entry into force. The United States and Russia are
prepared to discuss confidence and transparency-building measures as an
element of facilitating compliance with, preserving and strengthening the
ABM Treaty. These measures could include: data exchanges,
pre-notifications of planned events, voluntary demonstrations,
participation in observations, organization of exhibitions, and
strengthening the ABM Treaty compliance verification process.
The Presidents of the United States and Russia have agreed that officials
from the relevant ministries and agencies will meet annually to coordinate
their activities in this area, and look forward with interest to such a
meeting in the near future.
The United States and Russia call upon all nations of the world to unite
their efforts to strengthen strategic stability.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE THE PRESIDENT OF
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
New York City September 6, 2000
STRATEGIC STABILITY COOPERATION INITIATIVE
Implementation Plan
? Discussions of issues related to the threat of proliferation of
missiles and missile technologies
The U.S. will brief Russia on the update of the National Intelligence
Estimate of the ballistic missile threat that has just been completed,
and Russia will provide its latest assessment.
? Cooperation in the area of Theater Missile Defense
The United States and Russia agreed to conduct a U.S.-Russian planning
and simulation exercise in February, 2001 at Colorado Springs, Colorado
and a U.S.-Russian field training exercise at Fort Bliss, Texas by late
2001 or early 2002. Planning meetings for the 2001 exercise will
continue in Moscow in September and November-December at the Joint
National Test Facility in Colorado Springs. Joint TMD exercise expert
talks will also discuss the possibility of reciprocal invitation of
observers to actual firings of TMD systems.
? Early warning information
By the end of this fall, the United States and Russia expect to begin
preparation of the Moscow site for the Joint Data Exchange Center (JDEC)
and begin renovation of the building that will house the center, as well
as begin drafting concept of operations and standard operating
procedures documents. The United States and Russia intend to commence
operations at the JDEC in June of 2001, with full operations to begin in
September 2001. Regular meetings of working groups under the Joint
Commission will take place in coming months.
The United States and Russia have agreed to set as an objective the
completion of a bilateral agreement on a pre-launch notification system
for launches of ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles by the APEC
summit in November, while also reaching agreement on how the system will
be opened up to the voluntary participation of all interested countries.
They will meet to intensify negotiations in September.
? Missile Non-Proliferation measures
The United States and Russia will work to reach consensus among MTCR
partners at the October 9-13 Plenary, as well as with other countries,
on plans for a global missile non-proliferation approach.
? Confidence and transparency-building measures
Experts will meet this fall to review and approve additional warhead
safety and security issues for expanded cooperation related to the CTBT.
Experts will meet before the end of this year to consider expanded
cooperation in the area of computations, experiments and materials.
Experts in CTBT monitoring and verification will be scheduled to meet in
late 2000 or early 2001 to consider expanded cooperation in this area.
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