Index

19.04.2000

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COLOGNE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PRESIDENTS OF RUSSIA AND THE US, A RUSSIAN-AMERICAN MEETING OF EXPERTS TO DISCUSS START-3 AND THE ABM TREATY WAS HELD IN GENEVA ON APRIL 17-18, 2000 ¹ 316


316-19-4-2000

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

In accordance with the Cologne agreement between the presidents of Russia and the US, a Russian-American meeting of experts to discuss START-3 and the ABM Treaty was held in Geneva on April 17-18, 2000. The group of Russian experts was led by Yuri Kapralov, Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for Security and Disarmament Issues and the American group by acting Assistant US Secretary of State John Holum.

Both sides noted that the adoption of the law on the ratification of START-2 by the Russian State Duma on April 14, 2000 makes it possible to begin official negotiations on the future START-3 without delay. The two sides expressed their thoughts on various aspects of the future Treaty.

The Russian side stressed that the efforts aimed at further cuts of strategic offensive weapons, on a reciprocal basis with the US, were only possible if the 1972 ABM Treaty which bans the deployment of ABM systems on the territories of the countries concerned is preserved and strictly honored. Strategic stability would be strengthened by coordinated steps to develop cooperation in such areas as strategic arms reduction and non-strategic ABM systems that do not contradict the ABM Treaty, a global system of verification of non-proliferation of missiles and missile technologies and broad political interaction among all states.


April 19, 2000