Statement by the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
In order to promote the implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990 (the Treaty), the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics states that it assumes the following obligations outside the framework of the Treaty.
I
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall hold within the area of application of the Treaty conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories not to exceed: in Coastal Defence forces-- 813 battle tanks, 972 armoured combat vehicles and 846 pieces of artillery; in Naval Infantry--120 battle tanks, 753 armoured combat vehicles and 234 pieces of artillery; in the Strategic Rocket Forces--1,701 armoured combat vehicles, each being an armoured personnel carrier as that term is defined in the Treaty.
II
Forty months after entry into force of the Treaty and thereafter, within the levels and sublevels that ensue from the obligations of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics under the Treaty, the holdings of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles and pieces of artillery shall be less than its maximum level for holdings, as notified in accordance with Article VII of the Treaty, by the number it will have in Coastal Defence forces and Naval Infantry within the area of application of the Treaty. For example, with regard to battle tanks, unless the maximum levels for holdings for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics are revised in accordance with Article VII of the Treaty, the numbers for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics within the area of application of the Treaty, including battle tanks in Coastal Defence forces and Naval Infantry, will not exceed: 13,150 overall; 10,500 in active units overall; 7,150 in active units within the region described in Article IV, paragraph 3 of the Treaty; and 1,850 in active units within the area described in Article V, paragraph 1, subparagraph (A) of the Treaty.
III
1. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall reduce, in addition to the reduction liability established for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics under the Treaty on the basis of information it supplied, its holding of conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories within the area of application of the Treaty by the number which it had as of the date of signature of the Treaty in Coastal Defense forces and Naval Infantry, that is, by 933 battle tanks, 1,725 armoured combat vehicles, and 1,080 pieces of artillery.
2. Such additional reduction shall be carried out by means of destruction or conversion into civilian equipment of 933 battle tanks and destruction of 1,080 pieces of artillery. Of the 1,725 armoured combat vehicles to be additionally reduced, 972 armoured combat vehicles shall be destroyed or converted into civilian equipment and 753 armoured combat vehicles of the MT-LB type, included in the armoured combat vehicle category and belonging to the number declared as of the date of signature of the Treaty, shall be modified, in accordance with the Protocol on Existing Types, into armoured personnel carrier look-alikes of the MT-LB-AT type, which are not limited by the Treaty.
3. Fifty percent of the 933 battle tanks and 972 armoured combat vehicles shall be destroyed or converted within the area of application of the Treaty and 50 percent of the 1,080 pieces of artillery shall be destroyed within the area of application of the Treaty, within the time limits and in accordance with the procedures established by the Treaty. The remainder of these conventional armaments and equipment shall be withdrawn from the area of application of the Treaty; an equivalent number of conventional armaments and equipment shall be destroyed or converted outside of the area of application of the Treaty within the time limits established by the Treaty and in accordance with procedures which provide sufficient visible evidence that the conventional armaments and equipment have been destroyed or rendered militarily unusable. The States Parties to the Treaty shall be notified in advance, giving the location, number and types of conventional armaments and equipment to be destroyed or converted.
IV
The holdings of armoured combat vehicles in the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall not be subject to the numerical limitations of the Treaty, in accordance with Article III, paragraph 1, subparagraph (F) of the Treaty. These forces shall not be equipped with conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories, other than armoured personnel carriers.
V
The conventional armaments and equipment of Coastal Defence forces and Naval Infantry in the categories subject to the Treaty within the area of application of the Treaty shall be subject to challenge inspections in accordance with the provisions of the Protocol on Inspection. Effective verification of such armaments and equipment shall be ensured. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall provide separate information to all States Parties on such armaments and equipment of the same scope and with the same degree of detail as provided for in Section III, paragraph 2 of the Protocol on Information Exchange, and under the same timetable for the provision of information as provided for in Section VII of that Protocol.
VI
Unless otherwise specified (a) in this Statement, (b) in the Treaty, or (c) in the Declaration on Land-Based Naval Aircraft, all conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories, based on land within the area of application of the Treaty, irrespective of assignment, shall be subject to all numerical limitations of the Treaty.
VII
This Statement of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics regarding the aforementioned obligations assumed outside the framework of the Treaty shall enter into force simultaneously with the Treaty, shall be legally binding and shall have the same duration as the Treaty.
June 14, 1991.
Statement of the Government of the United States of America and Statements Identical in Content of the Other 20 Signatory States
Statement of the Government of the United States of America
The Government of the United States of America hereby agrees that the Statement of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of today's date provides a satisfactory basis for proceeding toward ratification and implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990 (the Treaty).
The aforementioned Statement of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and this Statement of the Government of the United States of America shall be equally legally binding; they shall enter into force simultaneously with the Treaty, and shall have the same duration as the Treaty.
June 14, 1991.
Statement of the Representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the Joint Consultative Group
In order to promote the implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe of November 19, 1990, (the Treaty) I have been instructed by the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to state the following:
1. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics will, during 1991-1995, destroy or convert into civilian equipment no less than 6,000 battle tanks, 1,500 armoured combat vehicles and 7,000 pieces of artillery from among the conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories beyond the Urals, in addition to the numbers of armaments subject to destruction and conversion specified in the Statement of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of June 14, 1991 concerning obligations outside the framework of the Treaty.
The armaments will be destroyed or converted under the procedures that will provide sufficient visible evidence, which confirms that they have been destroyed or rendered militarily unusable. Advance notification and information will be provided to the States Parties to the Treaty regarding the locations and numbers of battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles and pieces of artillery undergoing destruction or conversion.
Elimination of armaments in the Treaty-limited categories will also be carried out subsequently as their operational and service life is expended.
2. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in the period between January 1989 and signature of the Treaty on November 19, 1990, in connection with activities related to unilateral reductions of the Soviet armed forces, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from countries of Eastern Europe and adaption of the armed forces to the new defensive doctrine, withdrew beyond the Urals the following numbers of conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories: 16,400 battle tanks, 15,900 armoured combat vehicles and 25,000 pieces of artillery.
Of these numbers of armaments and equipment, 8,000 battle tanks, 11,200 armoured combat vehicles and 1,600 pieces of artillery have been turned over to military units and subunits in the eastern Soviet Union for the purpose of reequipping them and supplementing their armaments.
Another part of the conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories which have been transferred beyond the Urals (8,400 battle tanks, 4,700 armoured combat vehicles and 16,400 pieces of artillery), has been placed in storage. In addition, 7,000 pieces of artillery are being used for replacement and repair.
These stored conventional armaments and equipment withdrawn beyond the Urals will be used up in the process of replacing obsolete armaments and equipment that have expended their established operational and service life and, in the eastern Soviet Union, also in supplementing units.
With respect to the armaments and equipment transferred beyond the Urals before signature of the Treaty that have been placed in storage or are used for replacement and repair beyond the Urals, upon entry into force of the Treaty, information will be provided to all States Parties about the location and numbers of battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles and pieces of artillery at such locations as of July 1, 1991. Armaments in each of these categories (battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles and pieces of artillery) will be stored separately.
3. The conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty-limited categories withdrawn beyond the Urals prior to signature of the Treaty will not be used to create a strategic reserve or operational groupings, and will not be stored in any way permitting their rapid return to the area of application of the Treaty, that is, such armaments and equipment withdrawn beyond the Urals will not be stored in sets for military formations.
Military formations and units deployed within the area of application of the Treaty will be organized in line with the Soviet defensive doctrine and taking into account the sufficiency levels of armaments established by the Treaty for a single state.
June 14, 1991.