Title:  "Next Step for Ukraine Is to Accede to NPT Regime, Davis Says." Remarks by Under Secretary of State Lynn Davis during a State Department press briefing regarding Ukraine's obligation to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). (940803)

Date:  19940803

Text:
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08/03/94 NEXT STEP FOR UKRAINE IS TO ACCEDE TO NPT REGIME, DAVIS SAYS (Text: statement at State Department briefing) (800) Washington -- Ukraine's promise to honor commitments to transfer all its nuclear weapons to Russia should be followed now by acceding to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), says Under Secretary of State Lynn Davis.

Davis told reporters at the State Department August 3 that "we are...working with Ukraine to gain their support for our broad non-proliferation agenda. The next step is for Ukraine to accede to the NPT."

"Once that happens, we can bring the START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) into force, and accession to the NPT will also open the way for Ukraine to participate fully in other non-proliferation regimes," she noted.

Following is the text of Davis' statement, as prepared for delivery: (begin text) Let me update you on where we are in our non-proliferation policies toward Ukraine, and describe our plans.

President Kuchma has just taken office, along with a new Rada. The free and uncontested elections represent an important step in establishing democracy in Ukraine. Vice President Gore visited Kiev yesterday and met with the new leaders. He wished to demonstrate the continued commitment of the United States to helping Ukraine make the transition to a market economy and to becoming a full partner with the West. President Kuchma accepted Vice President Gore's invitation to visit Washington in late November of this year.

President Kuchma has stated that Ukraine will honor its international commitments, including the Trilateral Statement, in which Ukraine agreed to transfer all nuclear warheads on its territory to Russia for dismantling. As of today about 300 warheads have already been transferred from Ukraine to Russia for dismantling. We have already passed the goal of 200 warheads by November established in the Trilateral Statement, and more than half the SS-24 ICBMs located on the territory of Ukraine have been deactivated.

In the Trilateral Statement Russia agreed to provide reactor fuel to Ukraine as compensation for the value of the highly-enriched uranium, and two shipments have already been delivered.

On our part, the United States has provided $60 million as an advance payment on the U.S.-Russia HEU contract, to help finance initial deliveries of reactor fuel to Ukraine. This advance payment will be repaid through deliveries of LEU to the U.S. under the HEU contract.

In addition, the U.S. has committed $350 million in Nunn-Lugar assistance for dismantling strategic forces and other non-proliferation related projects. We are also pursuing a broader international effort involving 13 other countries, all of which have announced their intention to provide Ukraine with dismantlement and related assistance.

We have faced some difficulties in getting the Nunn-Lugar assistance up and running. We are taking steps to fix that, and next week a team is planning to go to Kiev to work with the government of Ukraine on steps both sides can take to accelerate the Nunn-Lugar program.

Another important part of our efforts with Ukraine is assistance to facilitate the closure of the Chernobyl nuclear power station. The G-7 have committed $200 million in grants to Ukraine to launch a program to address both nuclear safety and energy supplies. A G-7 team will present our plan to the Ukrainians in early September.

We are also working with Ukraine to gain their support for our broad non-proliferation agenda. The next key step is for Ukraine to accede to the NPT; once that happens we can bring the START I Treaty into force, and accession to the NPT will also open the way for Ukraine to participate fully in other non-proliferation regimes. In May, Deputy Prime Minister Shmarov and Vice President Gore signed an agreement committing Ukraine to respect the guidelines of the MTCR. This opens the way for space cooperation with Ukraine, which has an advanced space industry, and as Ukraine demonstrates its commitment to non-proliferation and to effective export controls Ukraine can be considered for membership as a full MTCR partner. We also look to Ukraine, once it has joined the NPT and put in place its export control system, to become a partner in the regime that succeeds COCOM.

Looking back to January, when Russia, Ukraine, and the United States agreed to the steps to remove nuclear weapons from Ukraine and to provide compensation to Ukraine, we launched a process to achieve important non-proliferation benefits. Since January we have made significant progress. We welcome President Kuchma's statements that his government will continue to implement the Trilateral Statement, and are counting on his new administration to take the next important step -- to adhere to the NPT.

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