Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

Russian Ratification of the CTBT

Summary

On April 21, the lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, voted by 298 votes to 74 to approve the ratification of the Comprehensive Test ban Treaty (CTBT). The approval was unconditional and formal accession is expected to take place soon after the Federal Assembly gives its blessing to the move. Russia will join France and the UK as nuclear-weapon state parties. China is expected to follow suit, but US ratification efforts are still reeling from the October 1999 rejection of the Treaty by the Senate. The accord, signed in September 1996, will enter into force upon its ratification by all 44 states listed as possessing nuclear facilities. Russia will be the 30^th of these states to accede. Three of the listed countries... India, Pakistan and North Korea... have yet to sign the Treaty.

Comment and Reaction in Russia

Foreign Ministry statement: "The ratification of CNTBT [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty] by the State Duma is yet another confirmation of our country's consistent course of enhancing the regime of nuclear weapons non-proliferation, disarmament, and strengthening strategic stability in the world.

The community of nations has traversed a long path to achieve a comprehensive ban on nuclear tests. The road from the Moscow Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Tests in Three Environments [the Partial Test Ban Treaty, PTBT] of 1963 to CNTBT took almost 40 years.

Along with the recent ratification by both chambers of Russia's Federal Assembly of the START II Treaty our country, as a great nuclear power, by ratifying CNTBT demonstrates its responsibility to the entire world community... On the eve of the opening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference it is necessary to particularly stress the role of CNTBT as a key factor of strengthening the regime of nuclear weapons non-proliferation.

We are convinced that the speediest entry into force of CNTBT and the imparting to it of a universal nature is equally in the national interests of Russia and the whole of mankind. In conditions of a comprehensive ban on nuclear tests and the accession to it of all states with a potential to develop nuclear weapons, an insurmountable barrier will be erected to any attempts to spread or qualitatively improve nuclear weapons. We again urge all countries that have not yet signed or ratified the CNTBT to do it as quickly as possible so that the aims proclaimed by it would become a reality...in the near future."

Source: Foreign Ministry Statement, Document 335-21-4-2000, April 21.

Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov: "This is an important step towards preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. ...[It represents] a serious claim by the new Russian leadership to an active foreign policy in the field of disarmament... The ball is now in the court of the United States."

Sources: Russia is putting pressure on US over arms pacts, New York Times, April 22; Russian Duma adopts nuclear test ban pact, Washington Post, April 22.

Alexander Kotenkov, President-elect Putin's Representative in the Duma: "If we decide to end the moratorium we can still go ahead with tests. The treaty comes into effect only after all [44 listed] parties have ratified it..."

Source: Statement by the President, The White House, April 21.

Gennady Raikov, Leader, Pro-Kremlin People's Deputies Group: "Russia has now adopted an aggressive stance in the area of nuclear disarmament, actively pushing this process which is vitally important for mankind... This will help Russia in arms talks with the Americans, taking away their main trump card, which has been Russia's repeated failure to ratify nuclear treaties... If the Americans go ahead with building anti-missile defenses, they will find themselves isolated under the fire of public opinion..."

Source: Russian Duma set to approve nuclear test ban pact, Reuters, April 21; Russia's test ban vote puts US on defensive, Chicago Tribune, April 22.

Deputy Andrei Kokoshin, national security aide to former President Yeltsin: "These votes are a very clear demonstration of the willingness of Mr. Putin and of the Parliament to save arms control at a critical moment when we see dangers to the regime of negotiations started by the Soviet Union and the United states in the 1960s..."

Source: Russia is putting pressure on US over arms pacts, New York Times, April 22.

Communist Deputy Ivan Nikitchuk: "Lately, there has been a deliberate movement aimed at depriving Russia of its status as a nuclear power. Banning nuclear tests is just another step in that direction..."

Sources: Russian Duma set to approve nuclear test ban pact, Reuters, April 21; Russia Duma agrees test ban pact in boost for Putin, Reuters, April 21.

Agrarian Party Deputy Nikolai Kharitonov: "We are seriously concerned that in the last couple of weeks there has been a kind of ratification race in this country while the President has not yet taken office and the Government has still not been formed..."

Source: Russia Duma agrees test ban pact in boost for Putin, Reuters, April 21.

International Comment and Reaction

United Nations

Spokesperson for Secretary-General Annan: "The Secretary-General is deeply gratified to learn of the ratification of the [CTBT]...by the Duma of the Russian Federation enhancing the prospects for the entry into force of this important legal instrument against nuclear proliferation and the further development of nuclear weapons. The action of the Russian Duma, following immediately upon the ratification of [START II]...brings the number of nuclear-weapon states ratifying the CTBT to three along with France and the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary-General takes this opportunity both as Secretary-General of the United Nations and in his capacity as Depositary of the Treaty to urge those states that have still not signed and/or ratified the Treaty to do so as expeditiously as possible."

Source: Secretary-General deeply gratified by Russian Federation's ratification of nuclear-test-ban treaty, United Nations Press Release SG/SM/7366, April 24.

United States

Statement by President Clinton: "I am pleased that the Russian State Duma today ratified the [CTBT]... More than 150 countries have signed the CTBT so far, agreeing to stop all nuclear explosive testing. Ratification of the CTBT by Russia would mean that 30 of the 44 states whose ratification is required for entry into force have now approved this historic agreement, including many US friends and allies. Approval of the CTBT by Russia... as well as the recent approvals by Chile, Bangladesh and Turkey... renews momentum for the international effort to halt the spread of nuclear weapons and promote disarmament around the world. I congratulate President-elect Putin and his Government, members of the State Duma, and Russian citizens who together worked to achieve this important step toward a safer future."

Source: Statement by the President, The White House, April 21.

White House spokesperson Joe Lockhart: "It is an important step when a large country goes forward and ratifies the CTBT. We welcome that... We hope that as time goes on and we are able to make our case to the Senate, our Senate will follow the lead of many other countries around the world and ratify an important treaty..."

Source: US welcomes Duma ratification of treaty, Reuters, April 21.

State Department spokesperson James Rubin: "We think the more countries that ratify it, the better... It is so important [to us] that we need to begin to have some quiet consultations with Senators who have legitimate questions and concerns that we think can be addressed, so that we can soon enough ratify... It was the United States that led the way in signing the comprehensive test ban and pushing for its negotiation and ultimately its agreement. So I think we feel quite confident that it was our leadership that helped..."

Source: US welcomes Duma ratification of treaty, Reuters, April 21.

Senator Joseph Biden (Democrat- Delaware): "[This is] a big step forward...that could help persuade countries like India, Pakistan and North Korea to sign the treaty... There is, of course, a great irony in this event. If the United States had ratified [the] CTBT, we would be the ones getting the credit. Instead, the world will thank Russia."

Sources: US welcomes Duma ratification of treaty, Reuters, April 21; Russia's test ban vote puts US on defensive, Chicago Tribune, April 22.

France

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: "[France] is pleased with this decision which is crucially important in the present context as Russia, a nuclear-weapon state, is one of the 44 states that have to have ratified the Treaty for it to go into force. France reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of this important treaty and the implementation of a universal, effective and deterrent system of verification. I would remind you that France deposited its instruments of ratification in April 1998 and in Juky that same year completed dismantling its Pacific Test Center installations."

Source: Foreign Ministry Daily Press Briefing, April 21; French Embassy in Washington, http://www.info-france-usa.org

United Kingdom

Statement by Foreign Office Minister of State Peter Hain: "I warmly welcome the vote today... This is a big step towards our goal of this crucial treaty's entry into force as soon as possible. We hope that other key countries will follow suit. Three of the five declared nuclear-weapon states have now ratified the Treaty. We hope the US and China will now do likewise. Early signature of the Treaty by India and Pakistan would also be a major step forward."

Source: UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Daily Bulletin, April 21.

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