Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 32, November 1998

INF Implementation Agreements

In Geneva on 9 November, seven agreements relating to the implementation of the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty were signed by the United States (Ambassador Steven E. Steiner), Russia (Ambassador Mikhail Strel'tsov), Belarus (Ambassador Stanislav Ogurtsov), Kazakhstan (Dr. Kairtay Zhanbatyrov) and Ukraine (Olexiy Rybak). The agreements were drawn in by the treaty's Special Verification Commission (SVC). According to a joint press release issued after the signing ceremony. "These signed agreements were the result of advance work through diplomatic channels, as well as productive negotiations in the SVC, and were largely related to facilitating the implementation of the Treaty on a multilateral basis." The SVC met in Geneva, for its 21st session since the Treaty's entry into force in June 1988, from 19 October to 10 November.

On the day of the signing ceremony, an unnamed US official was quoted as saying: "These agreements show that we are continuing to implement the historic INF Treaty and that we are working very smoothly and cooperatively with the four partners that we carry out the inspection regime with."

Reports: Text - press release on signing ceremony of the SVC Nov. 9, United States Information Service, 9 November; New agreements on INF implementation signed in Geneva, United States Information Service, 9 November.

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