ADVANCING THE GLOBAL ARMS CONTROL AGENDA

ADVANCING THE GLOBAL ARMS CONTROL AGENDA

 

"The objective is to reduce the threat of nuclear war to the world and to reduce the threat of other weapons of mass destruction. There is still no more significant obligation I have to future generations."

President Clinton
Press Conference
April 4, 1995

To protect against new threats and reduce old ones, the Clinton Administration actively pursued an aggressive approach to arms control. This includes reducing Russia’s nuclear forces through the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START I, II and III); adapting the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty to allow for the possible deployment of a limited National Missile Defense (NMD) to protect against the emerging threat from states such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq; adapting the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty to enhance military predictability and stability in Europe; reinforcing and strengthening other existing multilateral treaties and regimes -- Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) -- to reinforce existing norms against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and advanced conventional weapons and related sensitive technology; and negotiation and entry into force of new multilateral regimes -- Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty (FMCT), Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) -- to constrain the development of nuclear capabilities globally.

A RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

TIMELINE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

December 16, 2000

Secretary Albright and Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov sign the U.S.-Russia Pre-Launch Notification Agreement in Brussels.

September 6, 2000

President Clinton and President Putin sign a Joint Statement of a Strategic Stability Cooperation Initiative and agree on an Implementation Plan in New York.

July 21, 2000

President Clinton and President Putin issue a Joint Statement Concerning Cooperation on Strategic Stability, in Okinawa, Japan.

June 4, 2000

President Clinton and President Putin sign a Joint Statement of Principles of Strategic Stability in Moscow; also sign agreement to establish a Joint Center to exchange early warning data of missile launches.

March 2000

President Clinton appoints General Shalikashvili as Special Advisor for CTBT to conduct a comprehensive review of issues related to ratification. Receives final report in January 2001.

October 6, 1999

President Clinton invites Nobel laureates, former Senator John Glenn, and other dignitaries in support of CTBT ratification to the White House to express support.

June 20, 1999

In Cologne, Germany, President Clinton and President Yeltsin of Russia agree to begin discussions on START III and the ABM Treaty.

May 16, 1998

During his weekly radio address, President Clinton proclaims that India is on the "wrong side of history" in conducting nuclear tests.

January 27, 1998

During the State of the Union Address, President Clinton announces the support of four former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – Generals John Shalikashvili, Colin Powell and David Jones and Admiral William Crowe – for Senate approval of CTBT.

September 26, 1997

Consistent with the 1997 Helsinki Joint Statements, the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan reach agreements on establishing an agreed demarcation between strategic and theater missile defense systems and updating the ABM Treaty to reflect the break-up of the Soviet Union. The United States and Russia also reach agreement on a Protocol to START II extending dismantling timelines and providing for the early deactivation of systems to be eliminated under START II.

September 22, 1997

President Clinton transmits the CTBT to the Senate for advice and consent.

March 21, 1997

Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin agree on a framework for START III and agree to accelerate efforts to conclude agreements on ABM demarcation and succession.

September 24, 1996

President Clinton is first world leader to sign CTBT.

April 20, 1996

President Clinton and other G-8 participants in Moscow Nuclear Summit issue a statement on CTBT calling for the conclusion and signing of CTBT by September 1996.

April 11, 1996

The United States signs Protocols of the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty in Cairo, Egypt.

March 25, 1996

The United States signs Protocols of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, Suva, Fiji.

October 23, 1995

Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin agree at Hyde Park to work together to succeed in getting a zero yield CTBT in 1996.

August 11, 1995

President Clinton announces that the United States will support a true zero yield CTBT banning any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion.

December 5, 1994

Budapest Summit: President Clinton and the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan exchange instruments of ratification on START I, bringing that Treaty into force.

January 14, 1994

Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin agree to detarget strategic missiles. President Clinton, with President Yeltsin and President Kuchma, signs a Trilateral Statement to assist Russia and Ukraine in resolving the complex questions regarding nuclear weapons located on Ukrainian territory.

July 3, 1993

President Clinton in his weekly radio address announces the conclusion of the Presidential review on nuclear testing and a CTBT and states his intention to extend the U.S. testing moratorium and seek to negotiate a CTBT.

April 23, 1993

A Presidential statement indicates the U.S. intention to begin consultations with Russia, allies and other states on the specific issues related to a CTBT negotiation within the next two months.

April 4, 1993

Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin agree at the Vancouver summit that negotiations on a multilateral nuclear test ban should commence at an early date and that the two governments would consult with each other accordingly.

REFERENCES


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