Vol. 470 No. 8
37 Mr. Kirk asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's and the EU's response to reports that the Russian Defence Ministry will demand amendments to the START-2 Nuclear Weapons Treaty before it is ratified by the Duma. [20069/96]
The Government and the EU attach importance to early ratification by the Russian Federation of the START-2 treaty. Through the START treaties, the two nuclear weapons states with the largest arsenals are engaged on a process which will reduce those arsenals by some two thirds. The EU memorandum, which accompanied my statement of 24 September as President of the Council of Ministers of the European Union to the 51st session of the UN General Assembly, described the entry into force of the START-1 treaty as a milestone in the process of reducing existing nuclear arsenals. It recalled the ratification of START-2 by the United States Senate on 26 January 1996 and looked forward to early ratification by the Russian Federation. Ratification of START-2 by the Russian Federation is vitally important for the continuation of the process of nuclear arms reductions. At the UN General Assembly on 24 September, President Clinton announced that, when Russia ratified, President Yeltsin and he would be ready to discuss the possibility of further cuts which sold help to make deep reductions irreversible.
There were reports earlier this month that certain authorities in the Russian Federation considered the year 2003 too early to implement the nuclear arms reductions required under START-2 and were seeking a deferral. However, there has been no formal indication that the Russian Federation is reconsidering its commitment to ratification and accordingly the European Union has not commented on these reports. It is my understanding that the United States remains committed to the implementation of this bilateral treaty as negotiated.
