04 December 1997
(More U.S.-Russian exchanges, transparency sought) (2470) Brussels -- Defense Secretary Cohen says the United States and Russia have signed an agreement which lays out a plan for better and more frequent exchanges between the militaries of the two countries and "more transparency" in their policies. Following a meeting between Cohen and Russian Minister of Defense Sergeyev in Belgium, Cohen told reporters at a December 3 news conference that they had discussed the steps they can take "to further disarmament, the importance of working together to control weapons of mass destruction and the successful partnership forged" by U.S. and Russian troops in Bosnia. He also announced that the two plan to visit each other's countries. Cohen also told Sergeyev that the Russian Duma must ratify the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) before the two countries can move to START III discussions to cut strategic weapons even further as Presidents Yeltsin and Clinton have discussed. Cohen also said that Sergeyev agreed that the current crisis of the international community with respect to Iraq will not be over until Saddam Hussein allows United Nations weapons inspectors to have "unrestricted access to whatever sites that they need to inspect." Sergeyev was at NATO headquarters to attend the first defense ministerial of the Permanent Joint Council making Russia part of the European security dialogue. Following is the transcript of Cohen's news conference: (begin transcript) Secretary Cohen: I just finished a very good meeting with Marshall Sergeyev, the Russian Minister of Defense, and we reviewed a range of issues, including steps that we can take to further disarmament, the importance of working together to control weapons of mass destruction and the successful partnership forged by our troops in Bosnia. The United States and Russia have found that we can solve problems when we work together, and I am planning to visit Moscow next year, and I have invited Marshall Sergeyev to come to Washington, and he has agreed to do that during the latter part of the year. This morning, Marshall Sergeyev attended the first defense ministerial of the Permanent Joint Council. The Council makes Russia a part of the European security dialogue. Although Russia can not determine NATO policies, it has become a participant in these discussions that lead to policy decisions. The PJC and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, comprised of some 44 NATO countries and members of the Partnership for Peace, show that European security structure has indeed expanded, and the work we started here today is going to make Europe more secure tomorrow. But before taking your questions I'd like to say just a word of thanks to Bob Hunter who is now completing some four and a half years as U.S. Ambassador to NATO. He has helped to form and to implement U.S. policy during a period of extraordinary change, and we talked about this at lunch: the remarkable transformation that has taken place globally in the last five or six years. He has performed his job with great skill, and I think we are all deeply indebted to him for his service. So thank you very much Bob. And now for your questions. Q: Mr. Secretary, is this agreement that you all signed going to help Russia consolidate and reform its armed forces further and did Sergeyev mention things like their desire to have a professional non-commissioned officers core, and things like that? Did you help with advice? Secretary Cohen: Well, this is precisely what we have discussed in the past when he visited me in Washington and we, in fact I, provided Marshall Sergeyev with a sheet of documents showing the kinds of programs that we think will be helpful, in sharing information that will help Russia to reform its military. We think it's important that we be able to help them in any way that we can, and in a very positive and constructive fashion, so I did provide some information to Marshall Sergeyev, and we will continue to meet in Moscow, and in Washington to follow up on this. Our staffs also will follow up almost immediately. I might point out that when I first met Marshall Sergeyev, we talked about the issue of how we can exchange information, and satisfy our respective countries in terms of nuclear security. He invited General Habiger to visit him in Moscow. General Habiger did, in fact visit, and made a fine presentation during the course of the past two days here about his visit. These are the kinds of exchanges that really do need to take place, more and more of them. So the document that we signed today lays out a plan for how we can continue, and the kind of contacts that we will have for the coming year. So the more contact the better, the more exchanges the better, the more transparency the better, the more that we can eliminate doubt and suspicion and questions about each others policies and challenges to, in terms of compliance to agreements, we think that's in our mutual interest and I think in the global interest. Q. Secretary Cohen. Jamie McIntyre from CNN. Could you just give us your general reaction to the statements by Boris Yeltsin, and Marshall Sergeyev about the possible cuts in nuclear arms, and also the 40 percent reduction in the northern region of the Russian conventional forces, and then just to follow up, what the United States has gone through (during) a major downsizing of its military and what advice would you offer the Russians as they go through what it appears is going to be a pretty painful period of downsizing? Secretary Cohen: I'm not in a position to comment in terms of President Yeltsin's statements about strategic arms reductions or convention force reductions. I can only leave that up to the Russian President and his advisors to explain in detail exactly what he had in mind. I did raise this issue with Marshall Sergeyev and he indicated that perhaps, and he obviously was not a part of these discussions, but perhaps opening a window to look into what the future might hold as far as Start III and other types of agreements that can be negotiated in the future. So I think it was basically an opening on the part of President Yeltsin to lift the veil, as such, to see what might lie behind opportunities in the future. But just as a prelude to discussions that we hope will take place, as I indicated to Marshall Sergeyev, we have to have the ratification to Start II first by the Duma, and then move immediately to Start III, and these are obviously some of the areas that will be open for discussion under Start III and then other agreements that would follow. With respect to the conventional forces, obviously they are going through a very painful time right now. They will need to find ways and resources as to how they can help those who have to leave the military to go into the private sector. That will take a good deal of effort on their part to ease the pain of that kind of termination of service, and hopefully provide them with job opportunities, and that means creating an economically viable private sector economy as well. So it's not going to be easy but in terms of downsizing, I think we can show by way of example, how we have consolidated bases, and gone through a very painful base closure process which I continue to advocate we will have to have as far as savings in our own military to make the kinds of investments in the future that will be required. And perhaps share that experience and point to ways in which we have learned. This has been very painful for the United States, and it still is today. But to show that if the government works in a coordinated fashion you can help ease the pain for those communities and those individuals involved who are affected by such downsizing. But we think that our experience can be very helpful and we have offered to share that with them. Q. On the question of the two statements that Yeltsin made in the last two days, did you find anything new in either of these statements that anything, anything that was going to carry anything forward as far as...? Secretary Cohen: Well I'm not sure exactly what he said so I am really not in a position to comment. I've heard numbers about strategic reductions of another one-third or reductions of 40 percent as far as conventional forces. I would assume, with respect to conventional forces, there has to be a rather substantial downsizing for the Russian military, and that's perhaps what he had in mind. And over what period of time I really am not in any position to say, if that's what he meant. But I think that President Yeltsin or his Foreign Minister, or someone should explain in detail exactly what he had in mind. But I suspect he was talking about the need to downsize and reform their military to bring it into the 21st Century. They, and many other countries will have to do the same. And with respect to strategic reductions, I can only again speculate that what he was talking about is looking at START III. So they can be a substantial reduction from where we are at START I. And to get to START III, we have talked in numbers of roughly 2,000 to 2,500 strategic warheads compared to some 6,000 where they are today, so that may be what he had in mind, but I'm really only speculating. Q. Bill Drozdiak, Washington Post: Mr. Secretary has any thought been given on how to build on the experience in Bosnia with the Russians? I'm thinking of other potential flash points such as the Caspian Sea region. Either just on a bilateral basis, U.S. and Russia, or also through the PJC? Secretary Cohen: It's an important question, and one, in fact, that has been raised during the course of discussions while we have been here. I know that the EAPC is not exactly something that lights up your headlines back home in terms of stories. But there is a great story to tell about what has taken place here the past two days. Forty-four nations sat around a very large table today, not just for the sake of getting together, but actually talking about specific things that we can do together. We talked for example, about defense environmental controls. What experience we have had in defense clean-up -- those areas that have been polluted. We have had great experience in terms of dealing with it. We talked about ways in which we can share with civilian crises that might come up, be they environmental or any type of disaster. We talked specifically about areas we can devote our resources to, and our talents to, on a cooperative basis. The issue was, in fact, raised during the course of discussions -- can't we build upon the experience in Bosnia with the Russians and their soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States and all the other countries who are participating? And it was a very affirmative response by virtually all of the members who are here today. And I think that bodes very well for the future, that this kind of contact -- inviting the Russian Minister to make a statement -- to be open to questions, to have to respond to any questions that might be raised. This is an entirely different format and forum, than I think that has existed for Russian Ministers in the past. And I came away very impressed today to see so many countries who are now engaged in the Partnership for Peace programs. And I might have been equally skeptical when it first started, and I give a good deal of credit to Bob Hunter and others who have worked so hard at making this reality -- President Clinton, Vice President Gore and others in the administration who have initiated the concept, and carried it through, and we saw the fruition of that today. It's just beginning to really to take root, and I think you'll see a great deal more of cooperation and sharing of experience on a multi-lateral basis. So yes, we can build upon that experience from here and other areas as well. Q: Just to follow up. Do you detect any sign that the Russians are coming around to perceive NATO as a potential force for stability and flash points on their border such as, I'm thinking of that Caspian Sea region. Secretary Cohen: Well, as a matter of fact, the issue was raised in terms of the Partnership for Peace exercises. Are they in any way, do they pose any kind of a threat, or the potential of a threat? And the answer of course, was they don't. And the best way to prove that, of course, is to participate. And so there has been an invitation for the Russians to participate in these Partnership for Peace program exercises. And to the extent that they do, that will become very helpful in dealing with any crisis that might arise in the Caspian Sea region. So I think that Minister Sergeyev is very open to this. I found him, and have found him very responsive to give and take on issues that he might raise, I might raise, other members, and they were suggested that Russia participate in a more active way on the PFP programs, and I believe that will take place. Q: Jim Mannion, AFP. What did Marshall Sergeyev say to you about the situation in Iraq, and did he offer any potential for easing of that crisis? Secretary Cohen: Well, he expressed agreement that the U.N. inspectors have to be allowed to go back to Iraq without hindrance, without any restrictions placed upon where or when they can inspect any suspected sites. He agreed completely that had to be the case that the suspicion that Saddam Hussein may be concealing, or secreting chemical or biological weapons was a threat that had to be addressed and that he felt that the inspectors should and would go back, should go back, and needed to have unrestricted access. And so I indicated also that while the crisis has eased somewhat, it is not over until that issue is resolved. Namely whether the inspectors will have unrestricted access to whatever sites that they need to inspect. So he did agree with that. Thank you very much. (end transcript)