[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
[October 23, 1995]
[Pages 1663-1664]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement With President Yeltsin on Nuclear Materials Security
October 23, 1995

    Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin noted the importance they attach to 
ensuring the security of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials, 
maintaining effective control over them, and combating illegal 
trafficking in nuclear materials. They underscored their strong support 
for the efforts underway in the Russian Federation and the United States 
to achieve these objectives, including the rapidly growing range of 
cooperative activities being pursued jointly by US and Russian experts. 
The Presidents noted with satisfaction that bilateral and multilateral 
cooperation in these areas has grown rapidly over the past year and 
includes joint activities on law enforcement, customs, intelligence 
liaison and on-the-ground cooperation to improve nuclear materials 
security at ten sites, protecting tons of nuclear material. The 
Presidents also welcomed cooperative efforts to improve the security of 
nuclear weapons in transport or storage in connection with their 
dismantlement.
    The two Presidents welcomed the joint report on steps that have been 
accomplished and additional steps that should be taken to ensure the 
security of nuclear materials, prepared by the Gore-Chernomyrdin 
Commission in implementation of the May 10 summit declaration on 
nonproliferation. This report outlines current and planned U.S.-Russian 
programs of bilateral cooperation that will result in broad improve-


[[Page 1664]]

ments in nuclear materials security, including several important sites 
with weapons-usable nuclear material, increased security for nuclear 
weapons in connection with their dismantlement, and construction of a 
safe and secure long-term storage facility for fissile material from 
dismantled weapons. The Presidents endorsed speedy implementation of 
these plans and directed that they be expanded and accelerated to the 
greatest extent possible.

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