Title:  "Missile Technology Control Regime Plenary Session." State Department statement of March 25, 1993. (930405)

Date:  19930405

Text:
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE DISPATCH PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS VOLUME 4, NUMBER 14, APRIL 5, 1993

MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME PLENARY SESSION

STATEMENT BY DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN RICHARD BOUCHER, WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 25, 1993.

THE MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR), THE MULTILATERAL GROUP FOR CONTROL OF TRADE IN MISSILE-RELATED ITEMS, RECENTLY HELD A PLENARY SESSION IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA. AT THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION, THE MTCR ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

A PLENARY MEETING OF THE MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR) WAS HELD IN CANBERRA FROM 8-11 MARCH (1993). IT WAS CHAIRED BY AUSTRALIA.

PARTNERS WELCOMED ICELAND AS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE REGIME, ATTENDING THE PLENARY FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS MULTILATERAL NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME THUS COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING 23 COUNTRIES: AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, CANADA, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, ICELAND, IRELAND, ITALY, JAPAN, LUXEMBOURG, THE NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, NORWAY, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

PARTNERS AGREED THAT THE MTCR GUIDELINES FOR SENSITIVE MISSILE-RELEVANT TRANSFERS OF 16 APRIL 1987, AND EXTENDED AT THE OSLO PLENARY OF JULY 1992, REMAIN AN ESSENTIAL MECHANISM FOR THE PREVENTION OF PROLIFERATION OF MISSILES CAPABLE OF DELIVERING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. PARTNERS FURTHER NOTED, WITH SATISFACTION, THAT THE DECISION AT OSLO TO EXTEND THE COVERAGE OF THE REGIME'S GUIDELINES WAS FULLY IMPLEMENTED AS AGREED BY ALL PARTNERS BY 7 JANUARY 1993 (DISPATCH VOL. 4, NO. 3, P. 41).

PARTNERS AGREED TO GIVE FURTHER DETAILED CONSIDERATION TO FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR THE REGIME. SUCH CONSIDERATION WOULD BE AIMED AT ENSURING THAT THE REGIME CAN CURB, EVEN MORE EFFECTIVELY, MISSILE PROLIFERATION TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR CONCERN ABOUT CONTINUING EXPORTS OF MISSILES AND TECHNOLOGY BY NON-MEMBER SUPPLIERS.

PARTNERS WERE PLEASED TO NOTE ONCE MORE THAT A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE REGIME HAVE DECLARED THEIR INTENTION TO CONTINUE TO OBSERVE THE MTCR GUIDELINES, AND THEY JOINTLY APPEAL TO ALL STATES TO DO LIKEWISE.

PARTNERS PARTICULARLY WELCOMED APPLICATIONS FROM ARGENTINA AND HUNGARY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MTCR AND AGREED TO INVITE ARGENTINA AND HUNGARY TO BECOME PARTNERS, TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARRANGEMENTS AGREED BY THE PARTNERS.

THE NEXT PLENARY WILL BE HELD IN SWITZERLAND TOWARDS THE END OF 1993.

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