Russian-American consultations took place on January 19-21 in Geneva on the Start-3 Treaty and the ABM Treaty in accordance with the Russian and U.S. presidents' Joint Statement, adopted in Cologne in June of 1999. This document was presented to the Russians by the senior American negotiator, John D. Holum.

Unilateral Statement

The draft Protocol introduces into the ABM Treaty only those amendments that are necessary to deploy phase 1 of the defensive system against ballistic missile attack.

If the threat created by ballistic missiles in countries such as North Korea and Iran will grow, as we think it will, it will be necessary to deploy more anti-missile missiles, more radars and another deployment region later.

The USA's unilateral statement expresses the US opinion that the evolution of the threat may require further deployment of defensive systems that will be more effective than those allowed by the Protocol.

This defensive system will nevertheless be limited and will require negotiations under future protocols.

If the threat will grow, as we think it will, we will exercise our right, in accordance with the Protocol, to request further negotiations to draft further amendments to the Treaty to protect against more serious and sophisticated threats from North Korea and the Near East.

The danger posed by states threatening international peace and stability is spreading to other countries besides the USA and Russia. The response to this threat may require international cooperation.

New negotiations may thus include a reconsideration of Article IX and Agreed Statement G involving international cooperation outside the bounds of that permitted by the Treaty.

The unilateral statement expresses the viewpoint of the United States. At present we are not seeking Russian agreement, but are explaining, as a part of the protocol record of these negotiations, that we foresee a continuation of negotiations on more effective systems to counter the threat if, as we assume, it will increase.