[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 19 (Monday, May 15, 1995)]
[Pages 799-800]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement on European Security

May 10, 1995

    Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin conducted a thorough review of 
progress toward their shared goal of a stable, secure, integrated and 
undivided democratic Europe. They agreed that the end of military 
confrontation, ideological conflict, and division of the Euro-Atlantic 
region into opposing blocs has created an historic opportunity for all 
of its peoples. They emphasized their determination to cooperate closely 
to ensure that in the future, all peoples of the Euro-Atlantic region 
shall enjoy the benefits of a stable, just and peaceful order.
    The Presidents note that the task of strengthening Euro-Atlantic 
security now requires dealing with challenges very different from those 
of the Cold War era. Aggressive nationalism, proliferation of weapons of 
mass destruction, unresolved territorial disputes, and violations in the 
area of human rights present serious threats to stability, peace and 
prosperity. The Presidents agree that the effort to deal with these 
challenges must be based on respect for the principles and commitments 
of the OSCE, particularly concern- 

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ing democracy, political pluralism, respect for human rights and civil 
liberties, free market economies and strict respect for sovereignty, 
territorial integrity, and self-determination.
    The Presidents reviewed prospects for Euro-Atlantic structures in 
response to the opportunities and challenges posed by the new era. They 
agreed that the central element of a lasting peace must be the 
integration of all of Europe into a series of mutually supporting 
institutions and relationships which ensure that there will be no return 
to division or confrontation. The evolution of European structures 
should be directed toward the overall goal of integration. President 
Clinton stressed that the process should be transparent, inclusive and 
based on an integral relationship between the security of Europe and 
that of North America.
    The Presidents note the historic task of working closely together 
toward fuller participation of democratic Russia and the United States 
of America in the range of worldwide political, economic, and security 
institutions of the 21st Century. It was in this spirit that the two 
Presidents reviewed steps in the evolution of the Euro-Atlantic security 
system through the further development of relevant organizations and 
bilateral and regional cooperation. This includes the decision of Russia 
to proceed with its individual Partnership Program for the Partnership 
for Peace and with the document on a broad, enhanced Russia-NATO 
dialogue and cooperation.
    President Clinton supported Russia's efforts to develop further its 
partnership and cooperation with the EU. He stressed U.S. support for 
Russia's participation in the WTO, GATT and other institutions important 
to European and global economic and security architecture, as 
appropriate.
    The Presidents agree that the OSCE's commitments in the areas of 
human rights, economics, and security provide a foundation for their 
effort to build a stable and integrated Europe. In this regard, special 
attention should be devoted to strengthening the peacekeeping 
capabilities of the OSCE and to its potential in the sphere of 
preventive diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
    The Presidents recalled the decision of the December 1994 OSCE 
Summit in Budapest to develop a model for ensuring comprehensive 
security for Europe in the 21st Century. The United States and Russia 
believe that such a model should aim to build an undivided Europe, a 
common space of security and stability, and a system that ensures the 
widest cooperation and coordination among all countries of the Euro-
Atlantic region. In this system, all states will have, as stated in 
Budapest, the inherent right of all states freely to choose or change 
their security arrangements, including treaties of alliance, as they 
evolve.

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