    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [October 15, 1999]
    [Pages 1802-1804]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Joint Statement on Norway-United States Cooperation
    October 15, 1999

        The President and the Prime Minister met today at the White House to review the many
    accomplishments of the enduring U.S.-Norwegian partnership and to
    explore new areas of cooperation.
        Transatlantic solidarity and mutual security in NATO form the core
    of the U.S.-Norwegian relationship. President Clinton reaffirmed the
    strong U.S. commitment to the security and defense of Norway. The two
    leaders reiterated their commitments to the Washington Summit's vision
    of an Alliance devoted to collective defense, capable of addressing
    current and future challenges, strengthened by and open to new

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    members, and working with others in a mutually reinforcing way to
    enhance Euro-Atlantic security and stability. They also reaffirmed their
    commitment to strengthen European security and defense capabilities for
    crisis management.
        The Prime Minister and the
    President expressed satisfaction that the concerted action of the NATO
    Alliance achieved an end to Milosevic's campaign of ethnic cleansing in
    Kosovo and created the conditions for the safe return of refugees. They
    reaffirmed their strong commitment to democracy and the rule of law in
    Kosovo, and their support for the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe
    as a means of achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.
        The President congratulated the Prime Minister on Norway's essential contributions as Chairman-in-
    Office of the OSCE. The two leaders underscored the importance of arms
    control, in particular the 30-nation Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces
    in Europe (CFE). The United States and Norway agreed to intensify their
    efforts, together with other Treaty partners, to reach agreement on
    adaptation of the CFE Treaty for signature by Heads of State and
    Government at the November 18-19 OSCE Summit in Istanbul.
        The United States and Norway share a vital interest in the
    development of a democratic, prosperous, and stable Russia. Russia has
    an opportunity to further entrench its transition to democracy by
    ensuring free and fair elections in the coming months for its parliament
    and president. The President and the Prime Minister recognized Russia's struggle against terrorism and
    reaffirmed their support for Russia's territorial integrity. They urged
    a constructive dialogue between the Russian government and legitimate
    leaders in the North Caucasus that could lead to peaceful resolution of
    conflict, and called on all concerned to avoid indiscriminate use of
    force and to respect human rights. The Prime Minister and the President
    agreed that increased international efforts are called for to deal with
    the problem of nuclear waste in Russia, including that from
    decommissioned nuclear submarines. The two leaders called on Russia to
    accept the 1993 amendment to the London Convention that establishes a
    mandatory moratorium on all dumping of radioactive waste at sea. They
    welcomed increased international cooperation through the Arctic Council
    and the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program. Working
    closely with local governments and communities, they pledged to promote
    sustainable development and protection of the fragile Arctic
    environment.
        The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the work of the Barents
    and Baltic Sea States Councils and the extensive U.S.-Norway cooperation
    under the U.S. Northern European Initiative. They underlined the
    importance of fully integrating the Baltic countries into the European
    and trans-Atlantic community, and agreed to continue support for
    language training programs in Latvia and Estonia to foster social
    integration.
        The Prime Minister and the
    President share concern over the growing dangers to international
    security posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in
    areas of conflict and post-conflict. They announced the establishment of
    a Norway-U.S. working group to marshal support for nations which agree
    to destroy surplus small arms.
        The two leaders noted the extensive U.S.-Norwegian commercial
    relationship and affirmed that the United States and Norway attach great
    importance to the upcoming WTO round in Seattle. They recognized
    Norway's role as a major international supplier of oil and gas to the
    world, and agreed U.S. industry will remain a key partner in petroleum
    production on the Norwegian continental shelf.
        The President expressed his appreciation for Norway's strong support
    of the Middle East peace process through the Oslo process, and saluted
    Norway's leadership role in the Palestinian donor effort. The two
    leaders agreed to intensify their efforts to achieve a lasting
    settlement in the Middle East and other conflict areas. They stressed
    the need to strengthen the United Nations' capabilities in responding to
    the challenges of a new Millennium. They agreed that the protection of
    human rights and dignity, eradication of poverty, and the safeguarding
    of the global environment were crucial to continued progress. The two
    leaders agreed to work together to reduce the debt of heavily-indebted
    poor countries and increase the support among creditors to maximize the
    benefits of the debt reduction initiative.
        Finally, the two leaders agreed to continue the excellent
    cooperation between the two countries through ongoing dialogue on the
    full range of bilateral, regional and global issues that join the United
    States and Norway.

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