USIA - Text: State Dept. Statement On New Export Control Regime (96-07-12)

United States Information Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>

TEXT: STATE DEPT. STATEMENT ON NEW EXPORT CONTROL REGIME

(New Wassenaar agreement includes ex-Soviet bloc states) (640)

The new regime, called the Wassenaar Arrangement, was established during a 33-nation meeting in Vienna July 11-12. It supersedes COCOM, which was originally created to control exports of advanced technology and other products with high potential military value to communist countries. COCOM controls were later expanded to cover such exports to other countries which might use them to undermine regional or international security.

The operational secretariat of the Wassenaar Agreement will be located in Vienna.

Following is the text of a State Department report on the results of the meeting:

(Begin text)

Bulgaria and Ukraine were welcomed as new participants and co-founders by Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, the Russian Federation, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The purpose of the Arrangement reflected in the Initial Elements agreed to at the meeting, is to contribute to regional and international security by:

-- promoting transparency and greater responsibility with regard to transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, thus preventing destabilizing accumulations;

-- seeking through national policies, to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these goals, and are not diverted to support such capabilities;

-- complementing and reinforcing, without duplication, the existing control regimes for weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, as well as other internationally recognized measures designed to promote transparency and greater responsibility, by focusing on the threats to international and regional peace and security which may arise from transfers of armaments and sensitive dual-use goods and technologies where risks are judged greatest; and,

-- enhancing cooperation to prevent the acquisition of armaments and sensitive dual-use items for military end-uses, if the situation in a region or the behavior of a state is, or becomes, a cause for serious concern to the Participating States.

This arrangement will not be directed against any state or group of states and will not impede bona fide civil transactions. Nor will it interfere with the rights of states to acquire legitimate means with which to defend themselves pursuant to Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Participating States will control all items set forth in the List of Dual- Use Goods and Technologies and the Munitions List with the objective of preventing unauthorized transfers or re-transfers of these Items.

Participating States have agreed 1st November 1996 as a target-date for implementation of the Lists. Some Participating States indicated that they might be unable to meet this target-date but would make every effort to implement the Lists before the December 1996 Plenary. The decision to transfer or to deny a transfer of any item will be the sole responsibility of each Participating State.

The participants established a Secretariat in Vienna to facilitate the future work of the Arrangement and agreed to a work program that will expand and enhance the Arrangement in ways that will further its central purposes.

The next Plenary of the Arrangement is scheduled for December 1996 in Vienna.

(End text)

From the United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov

United States Information Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article