    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [May 10, 1995]
    [Pages 671-672]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement on the Transparency and Irreversibility of the Process
    of Reducing Nuclear Weapons
    May 10, 1995

        The President of the United States of America and the President of
    the Russian Federation,
        After examining the exchange of views which took place during the
    December 1994 meeting of the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission in regard to
    the aggregate stockpiles of nuclear warheads, stocks of fissile
    materials, and their safety and security, as well as a discussion of the
    Joint Working Group on Nuclear Safeguards, Transparency and
    Irreversibility of further measures to improve confidence in and
    increase the transparency and irreversibility of the process of reducing
    nuclear weapons,
        Reaffirm the commitment of the United States of America and the
    Russian Federation to the goal of nuclear disarmament and their desire
    to pursue further measures to improve confidence in and increase the
    transparency and irreversibility of the process of nuclear arms
    reduction, as they agreed in January and September 1994;
        Reaffirm the desire of the United States of America and the Russian
    Federation to exchange detailed information on aggregate stockpiles of
    nuclear warheads, on stocks of fissile materials and on their safety and
    security and to develop a process for exchange of this information on a
    regular basis; and
        Express the desire of the United States of America and the Russian
    Federation to establish as soon as possible concrete arrangements for
    enhancing transparency and irreversibility of the process of nuclear
    arms reduction.
        Taking into account the proposal by President B.N. Yeltsin for a
    treaty on nuclear safety and

    [[Page 672]]

    strategic stability among the five nuclear powers, they declare that:
        --Fissile materials removed from nuclear weapons being eliminated
            and excess to national security requirements will not be used to
            manufacture nuclear weapons;
        --No newly produced fissile materials will be used in nuclear
            weapons; and
        --Fissile materials from or within civil nuclear programs will not
            be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
        The United States of America and the Russian Federation will
    negotiate agreements to increase the transparency and irreversibility of
    nuclear arms reduction that, inter alia, establish:
        --An exchange on a regular basis of detailed information on
            aggregate stockpiles of nuclear warheads, on stocks of fissile
            materials and on their safety and security;
        --A cooperative arrangements for reciprocal monitoring at storage
            facilities of fissile materials removed from nuclear warheads
            and declared to be excess to national security requirements to
            help confirm the irreversibility of the process of reducing
            nuclear weapons, recognizing that progress in this area is
            linked to progress in implementing the joint U.S.-Russian
            program for the fissile material storage facility at Mayak; and
        --Other cooperative measures, as necessary to enhance confidence in
            the reciprocal declarations of fissile material stockpiles.
        The United States of America and the Russian Federation will strive
    to conclude as soon as possible agreements which are based on these
    principles.
        The United States of America and the Russian Federation will also
    examine and seek to define further measures to increase the transparency
    and irreversibility of the process of reducing nuclear weapons,
    including intergovernmental arrangements to extend cooperation to
    further phases of the process of eliminating nuclear weapons declared
    excess to national security requirements as a result of nuclear arms
    reduction.
        The Presidents urged progress in implementing current agreements
    affecting the irreversibility of the process of reducing nuclear weapons
    such as the June 23, 1994, agreement concerning the shutdown of
    plutonium production reactors and the cessation of use of newly produced
    plutonium for nuclear weapons, in all its interrelated provisions,
    including, inter alia, cooperation in creation of alternative energy
    sources, shutdown of plutonium production reactors mentioned above, and
    development of respective compliance procedures.
        The United States of America and the Russian Federation will seek to
    conclude in the shortest possible time an agreement for cooperation
    between their governments enabling the exchange of information as
    necessary to implement the arrangements called for above, by providing
    for the protection of that information. No information will be exchanged
    until the respective arrangements enter into force.

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this joint statement.