Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 58, June 2001

News Review

Russia, US Respond to Second CFE Review Conference

The Second Review Conference of States Parties to the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty was held in Vienna from May 28-June 1. Despite considerable tension over Russian force levels in Chechnya, Georgia and Moldova, the Conference unanimously affirmed the importance of the 1999 CFE Adaptation Agreement seeking to update the accord to a post-Cold War context.

Both Russia and the US welcomed the outcome of the Conference. According to State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher, in a written statement released on June 5:

"Participating states reaffirmed the Treaty's central role in European security, and the important role the Adaptation Agreement, signed at the Istanbul OSCE Summit in 1999, will play in paving the way to greater security and stability in Europe, given changes that have taken place in Europe since the original Treaty was signed in 1990. The US, NATO allies and others underscored the need for Russia to fulfil President Putin's 1999 commitment to reduce in a verifiable manner the levels of Russian equipment in the North Caucasus (Chechnya) to the levels specified in the Adapted Treaty. Presently Russia is not in compliance with certain aspects of the Treaty, in particular current or adapted Treaty limits in the so-called 'flank' area, which includes Chechnya. The United States and other NATO members stressed that ratification of the Adapted Treaty will be possible only in the context of full and verifiable compliance with agreed limits... The Conference also reviewed implementation of Treaty-related agreements concluded at Istanbul between Russia and Georgia and between Russia and Moldova for withdrawals of Russian forces and installations from those countries, and underscored the need for progress on the ground to meet the agreed schedule. ... The 30 states parties...examined the operation of the Treaty to date, identified implementation concerns and areas for future work, and reaffirmed that the Treaty would remain fully in effect, except those provisions amended by the Agreement on Adaptation upon its entry into force. The United States welcomes the results of the Review Conference and will actively seek full compliance with the provisions of the Treaty and related documents."

A Foreign Ministry statement issued on June 4 noted that "Russia positively assesses the Conference results" which "confirmed the key role of the CFE in strengthening European security" and welcomed the "on the whole...satisfactory implementation of the Treaty." Having itemised the Treaty's impact to date - "During the years of the performance of the CFE, over 59,000 conventional arms were cut, over 3,300 inspections were carried out, and each year the participating states exchange around 6,000 notifications." - the statement continued:

"It is important that the Second Review Conference in its official conclusions has reaffirmed the participating states' commitment to entry into force of the Agreement on CFE Adaptation as soon as possible. The Russian Federation called on the CFE participants not to make decisions or undertake actions capable of weakening the Treaty. Such steps, among other things, would include: undermining the strategic stability through exiting from key agreements on nuclear arms and non-proliferation, upsetting the existing relationship of military potentials in Europe and its individual regions, the use or threat of force in international relations without the appropriate UN Security Council decision, and [an] ill-advised policy of blocs. Without exaggeration, the possible entry of the Baltic countries into NATO would have destructive implications for the key CFE provisions, including, in particular, the flank limitations, and the area of stability in Central and eastern Europe. The results of the Conference give hope that all the Treaty participants will concentrate their efforts on constructive solutions to real practical problems related to ensuring the CFE [Treaty's] viability."

Reports: Russian Foreign Ministry Statement, Document 1058-04-06-2001, June 4; Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Review Conference, US State Department statement, June 5.