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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Alexander Yakovenko on Russian tactical nuclear weapons, October 7, 2004'Alexander Yakovenko, the Spokesman of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Answers a Russian Media Question at Press Conference at RIA Novosti Concerning Russia's Initiatives for Reducing Tactical Nuclear Weapons', October 7, 2004 Question: US Assistant Secretary of State Stephen Rademaker yesterday voiced concern that "the Russian side has not fully met its commitments to reduce tactical nuclear weapons in Europe." Could you please comment? Answer: In the first place, the word "commitments" in this context is incorrect. The question is one of the unilateral 1991-1992 initiatives, that is a goodwill gesture on the part of Russia. Those initiatives envisaged the reduction not only of tactical nuclear weapons (TNW), but also of a number of other disarmament measures and their implementation has been going on consistently. This May we announced that more than 50% of the total nuclear ammunition for sea-based tactical missiles and naval aviation, antiaircraft missiles and nuclear aviation bombs had been liquidated. And the reduction of tactical nuclear weapons is continuing. Thus, Russia has practically carried out in full all of the TNW reduction initiatives that had been put forward. All those weapons, unlike the situation with the United States, are located solely within our national territory. They are under reliable control. They are effectively secured. So there are no reasons for the concern Mr. Rademaker voiced. Source: New York Times and The Hindu. © 2003 The Acronym Institute. |