    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [March 21, 1997]
    [Pages 343-344]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Russia-United States Joint Statement on European Security
    March 21, 1997

        Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin discussed the present security
    situation in the Euro-Atlantic region. They reaffirmed their commitment
    to the shared goal of building a stable, secure, integrated and
    undivided democratic Europe. The roles of the United States and Russia
    as powers with worldwide responsibilities place upon them a special
    requirement to cooperate closely to this end. They confirmed that this
    cooperation will be guided by the spirit of openness and pragmatism
    which has increasingly come to characterize the U.S.-Russian
    relationship in recent years.
        Recalling their May 1995 Joint Statement on European Security, the
    Presidents noted that lasting peace in Europe should be based on the
    integration of all of the continent into a series of mutually supporting
    institutions and relationships that ensure that there will be no return
    to division or confrontation. No institution by itself can ensure
    security. The Presidents agreed that the evolution of security
    structures should be managed in a way that threatens no state and that
    advances the goal of building a more stable and integrated Europe. This
    evolution should be based on a broad commitment to the principles of the
    Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as enshrined in the
    Helsinki Final Act, the Budapest Code of Conduct and other OSCE
    documents, including respect for human rights, democracy and political
    pluralism, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, and
    their inherent right to choose the means to ensure their own security.
        The Presidents are convinced that strengthening the OSCE, whose
    potential has yet to be fully realized, meets the interests of the
    United States and Russia. The Presidents expressed their satisfaction
    with the outcome of the Lisbon Summit of the OSCE and agreed on the
    importance of implementing its decisions, both to define further the
    goals of security cooperation and to continue to devise innovative
    methods for carrying out the growing number of tasks the OSCE has
    assumed.
        They underscored their commitment to enhance the operational
    capability of the OSCE as the only framework for European security
    cooperation providing for full and equal participation of all states.
    The rule of consensus should remain an inviolable basis for OSCE
    decision-making. The Presidents reaffirmed their commitment to work
    together in the ongoing OSCE effort to develop a model for security in
    Europe which takes account of the radically changed situation on the eve
    of the 21st century and the decisions of the Lisbon Summit concerning a
    charter on European security. The OSCE's essential role in Bosnia and
    Herzegovina and its ability to develop new forms of peacekeeping and
    conflict prevention should also be actively pursued.
        In their talks in Helsinki, the two Presidents paid special
    attention to the question of relations between the North Atlantic Treaty
    Organization and the Russian Federation. They continued to disagree on
    the issue of NATO enlargement. In order to minimize the potential
    consequences of this disagreement, the Presidents agreed that they
    should work, both together and with others, on a document that will
    establish cooperation between NATO and Russia as an important element of
    a new comprehensive European security system. Signed by the leaders of
    the NATO countries and Russia, this document would be an enduring
    commitment at the highest political level. They further agreed that the
    NATO-Russia relationship, as defined in this document, should provide
    for consultation, coordination and, to the maximum extent possible where
    appropriate, joint decision-making and action on security issues of
    common concern.
        The Presidents noted that the NATO-Russia document would reflect and
    contribute both to

    [[Page 344]]

    the profound transformation of NATO, including its political and
    peacekeeping dimension, and to the new realities of Russia as it builds
    a democratic society. It will also reflect the shared commitment of both
    NATO and Russia to develop their relations in a manner that enhances
    mutual security.
        The Presidents recalled the historic significance of the Treaty on
    Conventional Armed Forces in Europe in establishing the trust necessary
    to build a common security space on the continent in the interest of all
    states in Europe, whether or not they belong to a military or political
    alliance, and to continue to preclude any destabilizing build-up of
    forces in different regions of Europe.
        The Presidents stressed the importance of adapting the CFE Treaty.
    They agreed on the need to accelerate negotiations among CFE parties
    with a view to concluding by late spring or early summer of 1997 a
    framework agreement setting forth the basic elements of an adapted CFE
    Treaty, in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Document
    on Scope and Parameters agreed at Lisbon in December 1996.
        President Yeltsin underscored Russian concerns that NATO enlargement
    will lead to a potentially threatening build-up of permanently stationed
    combat forces of NATO near to Russia. President Clinton stressed that
    the Alliance contemplates nothing of the kind.
        President Yeltsin welcomed President Clinton's statements and
    affirmed that Russia would exercise similar restraint in its
    conventional force deployments in Europe.
        President Clinton also noted NATO's policy on nuclear weapons
    deployments, as articulated by the North Atlantic Council on December
    10, 1996, that NATO members have ``no intention, no plan and no reason''
    to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of states that are not now
    members of the Alliance, nor do they foresee any future need to do so.
    President Clinton noted NATO's willingness to include specific reference
    to this policy in the NATO-Russia document. President Yeltsin spoke in
    favor of including such a reference in the document.
        The Presidents agreed that the United States, Russia and all their
    partners in Europe face many common security challenges that can best be
    addressed through cooperation among all the states of the Euro-Atlantic
    area. They pledged to intensify their efforts to build on the common
    ground identified in their meetings in Helsinki to improve the
    effectiveness of European security institutions, including by concluding
    the agreements and arrangements outlined in this statement.

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