    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [November 17, 1995]
    [Page 1771]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
    November 17, 1995

        Today marks a milestone in our common effort to build a
    transatlantic community where cooperation, not confrontation, is the key
    to security. The parties to the CFE Treaty have achieved a goal that was
    thought unattainable less than a decade ago: They have destroyed more
    than 50,000 pieces of military equipment to establish a stable balance
    of conventional forces in Europe at levels dramatically lower than
    existed only a few years ago. CFE's implementation--including the
    conduct of thousands of onsite inspections and the exchange of detailed
    information on military forces, in addition to the destruction of
    thousands of pieces of armor, artillery, combat aircraft, and attack
    helicopters--is tangible evidence that the era of cold war confrontation
    is behind us.
        We owe this remarkable achievement to the determination of the 30
    governments represented in the CFE Joint Consultative Group. As
    envisaged when the CFE Treaty was signed in 1990, this group has been
    the key to finding cooperative solutions to countless implementation
    problems, large and small. You have made the treaty work.
        CFE has been a flexible instrument in promoting our common security.
    This has been demonstrated by our ability together in the joint
    statement approved today to agree on the broad outline of a solution to
    the issue of the flanks, which preserves the integrity of the treaty and
    does not diminish the security of any state. I urge all parties to this
    landmark treaty to work intensively to complete the task of resolving
    this issue as soon as possible.
        There are other implementation concerns as well, relating to
    equipment destruction and other issues. The United States expects all
    parties to CFE to meet their treaty obligations. This must be done if we
    are to achieve the full promise of this treaty. Working through these
    remaining problems will be a key task for the Joint Consultative Group
    in the days to come. Given the record of the past, I know that our work
    will succeed.