Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 59, July - August 2001

Documents & Sources

Russia-France Statement

'Joint Statement by the President of the Russian Federation and the President of the French Republic on Strategic Issues, Moscow, July 2, 2001', Russian Foreign Ministry translation, Document 1269-03-07-2001, July 3.

"Russia and France as Security Council permanent members bear special responsibility in the field of maintaining peace and international security. They express willingness to act on a bilateral basis and at the multilateral level in the interests of consolidating strategic stability. They intend to realise the strategic partnership between Russia and the European Union, which was commenced during the Paris summit of October 30, 2000, in particular, by intensifying dialogue and cooperation on the questions of security and conflict prevention.

Russia and France see a major task in ensuring a complex of strategic equilibrium in the world under the new post-Cold War conditions. ... To take fuller account of the [multipolar] strategic context...it is necessary to seek to ensure that...[current arrangements are not] replaced by a less binding system that would open the way to new rivalry. Russia and France believe that, in determining the conditions of strategic stability, nuclear deterrence, based on the principle of sufficiency, retains all its relevance.

Russia and France believe that the nuclear disarmament agreements and the multilateral regimes for disarmament and non-proliferation remain necessary. The obligations they impose, and the control envisaged by them, serve as factors of trust.

Russia and France attach special importance to averting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

In the nuclear area the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the major instrument of stability. Its provision must be observed. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty must enter into force as soon as possible. The talks on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Production of Fissile Material for Nuclear Weapons must begin without delay at the Conference on Disarmament.

Russia and France express satisfaction with their cooperation on dismantling Russian nuclear weapons and on the disposition of Russian weapon-grade plutonium declared no longer needed for defence purposes. Both countries will encourage the development of international cooperation in this field, in particular, within the framework of the Group of Eight.

Russia and France hold that the conventions which prohibit the production, use and storage of chemical and biological weapons are international instruments which must be observed and acquire a universal character. The adoption of a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention is a necessary measure of strengthening this instrument. Until this work is finished, measures of transparency are needed. The destruction of stocks of chemical weapons must be continued by possessor states. Biological weapons also must be fully destroyed.

Russia and France are seriously disposed to continue their efforts for the prevention of the spread of ballistic missiles. They stress the need for strict observance of national export control systems. In this context Russia and France welcome the already advanced initiatives for improving the instruments of preventing missile proliferation, in particular, the Global Control System, and the Draft Code of Conduct proposed by member states of the MTCR. For the purpose of universalising the Code of Conduct consultations should be continued with non-member states of the regime. Russia and France consider that it is time to hold an international conference on this question at an appropriate moment. Russia and France will assist the work of the UN panel of experts on missiles.

Russia and France reaffirm the great importance of international efforts at averting an arms race in space. ..."