[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 81 (Thursday, June 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         WELCOMING RUSSIAN MEMBERSHIP IN PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, yesterday in Brussels, Russia became the 
newest member of NATO's Partnership for Peace, bringing to 21 the 
number of countries that have joined in this constructive and creative 
partnership. Yesterdays even was another significant milestone in the 
dismantlement of the Iron Curtain that divided Europe for a half a 
century.
  The Partnership for Peace seeks to avoid drawing new lines in Europe; 
it is, in fact, specifically designed to create an undivided Europe; it 
also leaves open the possibility of NATO's eventual expansion. In 
coming in under the tent, Russia has signaled its willingness to work 
as an equal not only with its former enemies in NATO, but with the 
countries that were former victims of Soviet repression.
  Russia, and each of the countries that have joined the partnership, 
have unique and important contributions to make. But perhaps more 
important than the joint exercises and consultations that membership in 
the partnership offers is the change in attitude that it represents. As 
an aside, I would note when I met with Russian Prime Minister 
Chernomyrdin yesterday, this new spirit of cooperation was extremely 
evident.
  Secretary of State Christopher and Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev, 
who signed the framework document, both took note of the historical 
nature of yesterday's signing. Secretary Christopher made an excellent 
statement in Brussels, and I would ask unanimous consent that at the 
end of my remarks, his speech be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. PELL. In that statement, Secretary Christopher notes that:

       Russia's accession to the Partnership for Peace is a 
     reflection of the Policy of extending to the East the 
     institutions that have allowed the West to achieve 
     unparalleled security and prosperity. Two weeks ago in Paris, 
     Russia signed a cooperation agreement with the OECD. In two 
     days in Corfu, President Yeltsin will sign an agreement with 
     the EU that will open European markets to many Russian 
     products. And next month in Naples, the G-7 will welcome 
     President Yeltsin for broad political consultations.

  As one who 3 years ago joined in a successful congressional effort to 
encourage the Bush administration to urge that former Soviet President 
Gorbachev be invited to meet with G-7 leaders during the London summit, 
I am particularly pleased that our relationship with Russia has evolved 
to the point where President Yeltsin will sit at the table with his 
colleagues during the summit's political meetings. The G-7 summit will 
demonstrate that Russia is assuming its rightful place among the 
world's most important economic and political process.
  Mr. President, in closing, I would like to commend the administration 
for designing and putting forth the Partnership for Peace proposal. The 
Russians, as well as our other friends in Eastern and Central Europe 
deserve praise for seizing the opportunity to join in this cooperative 
effort.

                               Exhibit 1

Remarks Before the North Atlantic Council by Secretary of State Warren 
                       Christopher, June 22, 1994

       Mr. Deputy Secretary General, it is a great pleasure to 
     join our NATO colleagues and Foreign Minister Kozyrev to mark 
     this historic occasion, and to welcome Russia as the newest 
     member of the Partnership for Peace.
       Our meeting today is a powerful expression of Europe's 
     remarkable transformation. Who could have imagined even a few 
     short years ago that after forty years of bitter 
     confrontation across the Iron Curtain, a newly democratic 
     Russia and this alliance would join in a partnership of 
     cooperation. Within our grasp lies the historic opportunity 
     to build an undivided peaceful and democratic Europe. That is 
     the dream that has animated this alliance and my country for 
     more than four decades. That is the vision that President 
     Clinton set forth when he proposed the Partnership for Peace. 
     And that is the goal that the United States remains fully 
     committed to achieving.
       Today, as Russia joins the partnership, we take a major 
     step toward building the bonds of cooperation that can secure 
     the peace of a broader Europe. As an alliance, we are 
     reaching out to Russia's Government and its military to 
     establish a new, more constructive relationship. But no less 
     important--as the alliance has done with other European 
     neighbors--we are extending a hand of friendship to the 
     Russian people.
       Russia is and will remain a country of immense importance 
     to the rest of Europe and the world. Its efforts to build 
     democratic institutions and a market economy have profound 
     implications for European security. A broad and constructive 
     NATO-Russia relationship will serve the interests of this 
     alliance. It will serve Russia's interests. And it will serve 
     the interests of all the nations of Europe--particularly 
     those that so recently won their freedom from Communist rule.
       The Partnership for Peace is central to NATO's relationship 
     with Russia. We also look forward to constructive dialogue 
     and cooperation to supplement the partnership in areas where 
     Russia has unique and important contributions to make. At the 
     same time, President Clinton will continue to work closely 
     with President Yeltsin to build a strong and cooperative 
     U.S.-Russian bilateral relationship in the interests of both 
     our peoples and the world.
       Other European states may also have interests or 
     capabilities that would warrant ``sixteen plus one'' 
     consultations outside the partnership. We should welcome 
     these possibilities. As NATO promotes security and stability 
     in Central and Eastern Europe, that too will benefit all 
     European nations--including Russia.
       Russia's accession to the Partnership for Peace is a 
     reflection of the policy of extending to the East the 
     institutions that have allowed the West to achieve 
     unparalleled security and prosperity. Two weeks ago in Paris, 
     Russia signed a cooperation agreement with the OECD. In two 
     days in Corfu, President Yeltsin will sign an agreement with 
     the EU that will open European markets to many Russian 
     products. And next month in Naples, the G-7 will welcome 
     President Yeltsin for broad political consultations.
       By widening the reach of the great post-war security and 
     economic institutions, we can help ensure that war, poverty 
     and oppression never again engulf this continent. We are 
     committed to working for an integrated Europe where sovereign 
     and independent states need not fear their neighbors.
       Today we are taking another decisive step toward banishing 
     Europe's historic divisions. We are building a security 
     partnership that has the potential to encompass all the 
     nations of the continent. With Russia's action, 21 countries 
     have now joined the Partnership for Peace. Several have 
     already entered close consultations with NATO to develop 
     individual partnership programs, tailored to their unique 
     capabilities and interests. By this fall, joint exercises 
     will commence, with Poland hosting the first exercise on the 
     soil of a partner country. In this way, the partnership will 
     build the habits of cooperation that are the lifeblood of the 
     alliance. It can thus pave the way for NATO's eventual 
     expansion.
       We cannot build the Europe we seek without a strong NATO 
     alliance. We cannot build it without a democratic Russia. We 
     cannot build it without the nations of Central and Eastern 
     Europe. The ``best possible future for Europe,'' which 
     President Clinton invoked at the January summit, depends on 
     all our nations working together in pursuit of common 
     security interests and democratic ideals. That is the purpose 
     of the partnership, and it is the spirit in which we welcome 
     Russia as a partner today.

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