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Belarus: Disarmament Treaties & Agreements

COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY

Signed: 24 September 1996

 

On 17 October 1995, during the 50th UN General Assembly Plenary session, Belarusian Ambassador Aleksandr Sychou said that Belarus considers continued or resumed nuclear testing as provoking non-nuclear weapon states to proliferate, and as fueling sentiments of mistrust and suspicion. He urged nuclear weapon states to respect current moratoria (which he commended), and to conclude a zero-yield, all inclusive, indefinite CTBT no later than the fall of 1996.

 

5/16/2000: LUKASHENKA SIGNS LAW ON RATIFICATION OF CTBT

On 16 May 2000 Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed the law On Ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. According to Duma International Committee Chairman Nikolay Chabrinets, Belarus diligently follows its obligations under the treaty. The CTBT will enter into force 180 days after the 44 countries that posses nuclear technologies or nuclear power plants sign and ratify it.

[Yuras Dubina, “Belarus bez yadernogo oruzhiya,” Belorusskaya gazeta online edition,  http://www.open.by//2000051615.html, 16 May 2000.]

{Entered by IPZ on 8/2/00}

 

ABM TREATY

Belarus became a party to the ABM Treaty when the Memorandum of Understanding on succession to the ABM Treaty was signed in New York on 26 September 1997.  Before the signing of the memorandum, Belarus had attended meetings of the Standing Consultative Committee established to monitor and consult on issues concerning the ABM Treaty.  An earlier attempt to solve the problem of succession to the ABM Treaty failed on 31 October 1996,  when US-Russian disagreements over tactical ballistic missile demarcation issues resulted in the cancellation of a signing ceremony for the succession memorandum.

Sources:

[1] "U.S., Russia Near Agreement on Lower-Velocity TMD Systems," Arms Control Today, June 1996, p. 19, 27.

[2] ITAR-TASS, 2 November 1996, in "Belarus 'Disappointed' Over Blocking of Missile Defense," FBIS-SOV-96-214. {Entered 11/9/96 JL}

 

6/22/2001: LUKASHENKA AFFIRMS FULL AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA ON ABM TREATY ISSUES

In a 22 June 2001 interview with Interfax, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that Russian and Belarusian positions on the ABM Treaty are in full agreement, and that any practical US steps in the direction of abandoning the ABM Treaty could lead to changes in Russian and Belarusian policies. According to Lukashenka, Belarus is categorically against making changes to international agreements, and would take the necessary steps to protect its national security.

["Lukashenko zayavlyayet, chto vozmozhnost vozvrashcheniya yadernykh raket v Belorussiyu poka ne izuchalas," Interfax, 22 June 2001.] {Entered 6/29/2001 MJ} 

 

1/20/2000: MINSK URGES WASHINGTON TO OBSERVE ABM TREATY

In response to the US Department of Defense's announcement that it intends to test a missile intercept system, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that abrogating the ABM treaty may destabilize the whole structure of key global nonproliferation agreements. Yuriy Platonov, an aide to the Belarusian Minister of Defense, announced that Belarus will act as it deems necessary to further its own security interests, but added that if the United States unilaterally abandons ABM treaty, Russia will not abide by it, either.

["Minsk prizyvayet Vashington soblyudat dogovor po PRO," Interfax, No. 2, 20 January 2000.] {Entered 6/28/00 IPZ}

 

START I

Signed 31 July 1991; Ratified 4 February 1993; Entered into force 5 December 1994.

 

LISBON PROTOCOL TO START I:

Signed 23 May 1992.

 

Belarus signed the Lisbon Protocol to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (along with Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine), under which it is obligated to ratifySTART-1 and to accede to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

 

INF TREATY (ON THE ELIMINATION OF INTERMEDIATE- AND SHORTER-RANGE MISSILES)

Belarus signed the INF Treaty on 9 October 1992 following the Bishkek Summit of the Heads of State of the CIS. (For information on the status of INF inspections see the May 1996 factsheet from the On-Site Inspection Agency, in the NIS Nuclear Profiles full-text section.)

["National Control and Inspection Agency-Verification Organ of the Republic of Belarus," Vektor, January 1997, p. 8.] {entered 2/9/98 djw}

 

5/31/2001: INF INSPECTION AND MONITORING ACTIVITIES CEASE

On 31 May 2001 all inspection and monitoring activities related to verifying the provisions of the INF Treaty officially stopped. In the 13 years of the treaty's existence, INF-inspectable sites in the United States underwent over 440 inspections, whereas INF-inspectable sites on the territory of Soviet Union and successor states were visited over 770 times. In addition to the on-site inspections, the United States and Russia maintained permanent groups of observers at monitoring portals at plants that formerly produced treaty-banned missiles in Votkinsk (Udmurtiya) and Magna (Utah), respectively. While the inspection and monitoring activities have ended, the treaty remains in force.

["O zavershenii inspektsionnoy deyatelnosti po Dogovoru mezhdu SSSR i SShA o likvidatsii ikh raket sredney i menshey dalnosti (RSMD)," Announcement by Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Representative A.V. Yakovenko, 1 June 2001.] {Entered 6/26/2001 MJ} 

 

12/14/2000: BELARUS SIGNS AMENDMENT ON ENDING INSPECTIONS AND MONITORING REGIME

On 14 December 2001 in Geneva representatives of the United States, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan signed an amendment to the INF Treaty's Memorandum of Agreement outlining the procedures for ending on-site inspections and the monitoring regime of the missile production plants located in Magna (Utah), and Votkinsk (Udmurtiya). While the INF Treaty is of indefinite duration, the inspection and monitoring regime will expire on 31 May 2001.

Sources:

[1] "Predstaviteli SShA, Belarusi, Kazakhstana, Rossii i Ukrainy podpisali popravku k memorandumu o Dogovore o yadernykh silakh sredney dalnosti," BelaPAN, 18 December 2000.

[2] Wendy Lubetkin, "Two Sets of Arms Control Agreements Signed in Geneva," U.S. Department of State International Information Programs, Washington File Web Site, http://usinfo.state.gov/products/washfile.htm, 11 December 2001. {Entered 6/21/2001 MJ}

 

11/9/98: BELARUS SIGNS NEW INF IMPLEMENTING AGREEMENTS

On 9 November 1998, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and the United States signed seven new agreements on implementing the INF treaty, including a memorandum on procedures for the activities of the Special Verification Commission.[1] Ambassador Stanislav Ogurtsov signed the agreements for Belarus.[2]

Sources:

[1] Wendy Lubetkin, "Five States sign new agreements on intermediate-range nuclear forces," Ukrainian Weekly, No.47, 22 November 1998, p. 2.

[2] Aleksandr Patutin, "Raket uzhe net, no kontrol ostayetsya," Belorusskiy Rynok, No.45, 16-22 November 1998, p. 5.{entered 5/17/99 FW}

 

NONPROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT)

Member since: 22 July 1993

["Belarus Formally Accedes To NPT," Arms Control Today, September 1993, p. 31.]

 

Belarus' adherence to the NPT requires it to ensure that all exports of nuclear facilities, materials, and nuclear-unique components are subject to IAEA safeguards in the recipient countries. (For information on the status of IAEA safeguards in Belarus, please see the Belarus: International Organizations section.)

[Leonard Spector and William Potter, Nuclear Successor States of the Soviet Union: Nuclear Weapon and Sensitive Export Status Report, A Cooperative Project of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, December 1994, p. 32.]

 

6/9/95: US MARKS BELARUSIAN ACCESSION TO NPT

In a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs Uladzimir Syanko, US Secretary of State Warren Christopher thanked Belarus for being the first new independent state with nuclear weapons on its territory to join the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state.

["Letter of Thanks from Secretary Christopher," Belapan, 9 June 1995.]

 

4/18/95: BELARUS COSPONSORS INDEFINITE NPT EXTENSION PROPOSAL

At the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference, Belarus was a co-sponsor of the draft decision introduced by Canada to indefinitely and unconditionally extend the Treaty. Foreign Minister Uladzimir Syanko reiterated Belarus' commitment to indefinite extension in the belief that it will serve as a greater proliferation deterrent and will lead to eventual complete nuclear disarmament.

[Text of the Belarusian statement at the NPT Review and Extension Conference, 18 April 1995.]

 

3/6/95: FOREIGN MINISTRY DECLARES SUPPORT FOR UNCONDITIONAL NPT EXTENSION

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official declaration announcing its support of "indefinite and unconditional extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty."

["Belarus Supports Indefinite Extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty," Press Release, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus, 6 March 1995.]

 

3/93: BELARUS ACCEDES TO NPT

The Belarusian Government notified IAEA of its decision to accede to the NPT as non-nuclear weapons state.

[IAEA Newsbriefs, March-April 1993.]

 

2/4/93: PARLIAMENT VOTES FOR NPT ACCESSION

The Belarusian Parliament voted to accede to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

["Belarus Supports Indefinite Extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty," Press Release, Embassy of the Republic of Belarus, 6 March 1995.]

 

5/23/92: BELARUS SIGNS LISBON PROTOCOL TO NPT

Belarus signed the Lisbon Protocol, under which it is obligated to adhere to the Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state "in the shortest possible time."

[Arms Control Today, June 1992, pp. 34-35.]

 

CONVENTION ON PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR MATERIALS

Belarus acceded to the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials on 9 September 1995.

 

MISSILE TECHNOLOGY CONTROL REGIME (MTCR)

Belarus is not a signatory to the MTCR nor does it adhere formally to MTCR guidelines.

[Leonard Spector and William Potter, Nuclear Successor States of the Soviet Union: Nuclear Weapon and Sensitive Export Status Report, A Cooperative Project of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, December 1994, p. 32.]

 

OUTER SPACE TREATY

Belarus is a signatory to the Outer Space Treaty.

 

PARTIAL TEST BAN TREATY

Belarus is a signatory to the Partial Test Ban Treaty.

 

SEABED TREATY

Belarus is a signatory to the Seabed Treaty, which prohibits placing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction on the seabed and ocean floor.

 

JOINT DECLARATION

8/25/94: BELARUS, GERMANY SIGN AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION

The Republic of Belarus and the Federal Republic of Germany signed a Joint Declaration on cooperation and friendship between the two nations. Section III emphasizes the commitment of both states to the continuation of the arms control process, the policy of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the strengthening of treaties under international law and international regimes on which international policy in the nonproliferation sphere is based.

[Text of Joint Declaration as translated in JPRS-TND-94-019, 17 October 1994, p. 40.]

 

Intra-NIS Agreements

 

11/25/93: BELARUS RATIFIES AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA ON STRATEGIC FORCES

The "Treaty on the Status of the Military Units of the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces Temporarily Stationed in Belarus" and the "Agreement on the Procedure for the Withdrawal of Military Formations of the Russian Strategic Forces with Attached Schedule" were ratified by the Belarusian Parliament. They were signed on 24 September 1993.

[NISNP Communications with Belarusian expert, 28 December 1995.]

 

2/4/93: BELARUS AND RUSSIA SIGN WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT

The Treaty on the Coordination of Activities in the Military Sphere and on the Strategic Forces Temporarily Stationed on the Territory of Belarus was ratified. It was signed on 20 July 1992 by Russia and Belarus, and set the timetable for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus.

Sources:

[1] Leonard Spector and William Potter, Nuclear Successor States of the Soviet Union: Nuclear Weapon and Sensitive Export Status Report, A Cooperative Project of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, December 1994, p. 2.

[2] NISNP Communications with Belarusian expert, 28 December 1995.

 

12/29/91: ALMATY DECLARATION SIGNED BY CIS LEADERS

Leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine issued the Almaty Declaration on Strategic Forces in which they agreed to joint control over nuclear arsenals of the former Soviet Union.

[Kazakhstani fact sheet to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva, June 1995, p. 1.]

Last updated 11 July 2001

 

Comments or questions? Contact Michael Jasinski at MIIS CNS: Michael.Jasinski@miis.edu

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.

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