[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book II)]
[September 2, 1998]
[Pages 1505-1507]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1505]]


Joint Statement on Common Security Challenges at the Threshold of the 
Twenty-First Century
September 2, 1998

    We, the Presidents of the United States of America and of the 
Russian Federation, declare that cooperation between the U.S. and Russia 
will be of the greatest import in the twenty-first century for promoting 
prosperity and strengthening security throughout the world. In this 
connection, we reaffirm that the United States of America and the 
Russian Federation are natural partners in advancing international peace 
and stability. We have devoted particular attention to intensifying 
joint efforts to eliminate threats inherited from the Cold War and to 
meet common security challenges at the threshold of the twenty-first 
century.
    We understand that the most serious and pressing danger is the 
proliferation of nuclear, biological, chemical, and other types of 
weapons of mass destruction, the technologies for their production, and 
their means of delivery. Given the increasing interdependence of the 
modern world, these threats are becoming transnational and global in 
scope; they affect not only the national security of the United States 
and the Russian Federation, but also international stability. We 
reaffirm the determination of the U.S. and Russia to cooperate actively 
and closely with each other, as well as with all other interested 
countries, to avert and reduce this threat by taking new steps, seeking 
new forms of collaboration, and strengthening generally recognized 
international norms.
    We recognize that more must be done and today we have taken a number 
of steps to enhance not only our security, but global security as well. 
We are declaring our firm commitment to intensifying negotiations toward 
early completion of the Biological Weapons Convention Protocol. We are 
embarking on new and important cooperation to further lessen the risks 
of false warnings of missile attacks. And, we have agreed on principles 
to guide our cooperation in the management and disposition of plutonium 
from nuclear weapons programs so that it can never again be used in a 
nuclear weapon.
    Common commitments have made the U.S. and Russia partners in 
developing the foundations of an international non-proliferation regime, 
including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, IAEA 
safeguards, the Convention on Biological and Toxin Weapons, and the 
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Russia and the U.S. reaffirm their 
commitment to the goal of having all countries accede to the Treaty on 
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in its present form, without 
amendments. They are also committed to the strengthened guidelines of 
the Nuclear Suppliers Group. As participants in the Conference on 
Disarmament, they jointly achieved success in the negotiations of the 
Chemical Weapons Convention and of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, 
and call upon all countries to accede to these treaties. Guided by these 
obligations, they have taken substantial practical steps to reduce the 
global nuclear threat and control transfers of sensitive technology. 
They remain deeply concerned about the nuclear tests in South Asia and 
reaffirm U.S. and Russian commitments to coordinate closely support for 
all steps set forth in the Joint Communique of the ``P-5'', as endorsed 
by the G-8 and the UN Security Council.
    The START Treaty and Presidents' nuclear arms reduction initiatives 
in 1991-92 will help to ensure the ultimate goal of nuclear disarmament 
and enhance international security. We have together eliminated more 
than 1,700 heavy bombers and missile launchers, including more than 700 
launch silos, 45 submarines capable of launching nuclear missiles, and 
deactivated or eliminated more than 18,000 strategic and tactical 
nuclear warheads. Reaffirming our commitment to strict compliance with 
our obligations under the START I and ABM Treaties, we declare our 
resolve to collaborate in expediting the entry into force of the START 
II Treaty. Immediately after Russian ratification of START II, the U.S. 
and Russia will begin negotiations regarding lower levels within the 
framework of a START III Treaty.
    As a result of significant reductions in their nuclear forces, the 
United States and Russia have large stockpiles of nuclear materials that 
are no longer needed for defense purposes. They remain committed to 
providing the maximum degree of security and accountability for these 
and other stockpiles of weapons-grade

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fissile materials and reaffirm the importance of implementing the U.S. 
Vice President's and Russian Prime Minister's July 1998 Agreement on 
Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the Management of Plutonium that 
has been Withdrawn from Nuclear Military Programs.
    We reaffirm our commitment to further cooperation on export controls 
as an essential part of ensuring non-proliferation. Our governments 
recently created an additional mechanism for cooperation in the field of 
exports of sensitive technology. To this end, at our meeting today we 
agreed to establish expert groups on nuclear matters, missile and space 
technology, catch-all and internal compliance, conventional weapons 
transfers controls, as well as law enforcement, customs matters, and 
licensing in order to enhance cooperation and to implement specific 
bilateral assistance and cooperative projects. These groups will be 
formed within the next month and begin practical activities without 
delay. A protected communications channel between senior officials of 
both countries has also been established, which will ensure the rapid 
and confidential exchange of information on non-proliferation matters.
    We reaffirmed the importance of the Conventional Armed Forces in 
Europe (CFE) Treaty and its fundamental contribution to stability, 
predictability and cooperation in Europe. As we work together to build a 
more integrated and secure Europe, we are committed to accelerating the 
negotiations to adapt the Treaty to changing circumstances. We consider 
it necessary to complete work on adapting the Treaty in the nearest 
future. We reaffirm our commitment to comply with the Treaty's 
provisions during the process of its adaptation.
    The U.S. and Russia remain committed to jointly building an enduring 
peace based upon the principles of democracy and the indivisibility of 
security. They reaffirm the common objective of strengthening security 
and stability in the interest of all countries, and combating aggressive 
nationalism and preventing abuses of human rights. They will consult 
with each other and strive to cooperate in averting and settling 
conflicts and in crisis management. In this regard, we attach great 
importance to operational military cooperation, in both bilateral and 
multilateral settings, between the armed forces of the U.S. and Russia. 
We are pleased to note that definite progress has been achieved in the 
area of defense cooperation, particularly in strengthening nuclear 
security and in implementation of the Cooperative Threat Reduction 
Program.
    We recognize that the soundness of an increasingly interdependent 
world financial and economic system affects the well-being of people in 
all countries. We agree on the importance to the international community 
of the success of economic and structural reform in Russia.
    Strengthening environmental protection in the 21st century is 
imperative in order to protect natural systems on which humanity 
depends. Russia and the U.S. will work together to resolve the global 
climate problem, to preserve the ozone layer, to conserve biodiversity, 
and to ensure the sustainable management of forests and other natural 
resources. We underscored the necessity of deepening broad based 
international and bilateral cooperation in this area.
    We declare that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, 
irrespective of its motives, is utterly unacceptable. The U.S. and 
Russia harshly condemn the recent terrorist bombings in Kenya and 
Tanzania. At our meeting today we agreed on a series of actions that 
respond to this growing scourge.
    We agreed to intensify joint efforts to counteract the transnational 
threats to our economies and security, including those posed by 
organized crime, the narcotics trade, the illegal arms trade, computer 
and other high-technology crime, and money laundering. We agreed to 
establish a bilateral law enforcement working group that will meet on a 
regular basis, and we agreed to step up law enforcement efforts and 
improve the public information system to eradicate trafficking in women 
and children. We agreed that the United States and Russia will take an 
active part in working out an effective UN convention to combat 
transnational organised crime. We welcome Russia's hosting of a G-8 
transnational crime conference at the ministerial level in Moscow in 
1999.
    We recognize the importance of promoting the positive aspects and 
mitigating the negative aspects of the information technology revolution 
now taking place, which is a serious challenge to ensuring the future 
strategic security interests of our two countries. As part of the 
efforts to resolve these problems the U.S. and Russia have already held 
productive discussions within the framework of the Defense Consultative 
Group on resolving the potential Year 2000 computer problem. The U.S. 
and Russia are committed to continuing consultations and to studying the

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wider consequences of this computer problem in order to resolve issues 
of mutual interest and concern.
    We declare that the common security challenges on the threshold of 
the twenty-first century can be met only by consistently mobilizing the 
efforts of the entire international community. All available resources 
must be utilized to do so. In the event that it is necessary, the world 
community must promptly take effective measures to counter such threats. 
The U.S. and Russia will continue to play a leadership role bilaterally 
and multilaterally to advance common objectives in the area of security.

 
  The President of the  United States of    The President of the Russian
                 America:                            Federation:
 
            William J. Clinton                      Boris Yeltsin
 

Moscow

September 2, 1998

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