The White House


                  Office of the Press Secretary

---------------------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release                             April 23, 1993



                     Background Information:

                    Advancing U.S. Relations 
        with Russia and the other New Independent States 

                         April 23, 1993


At the Vancouver summit, President Clinton and President Yeltsin 
agreed to pursue a number of measures designed to implement an 
economic and strategic partnership between the U.S. and Russia.  
Since then, President Clinton has directed that a number of steps 
be taken to move this process forward.  The Administration is 
announcing a number of steps today in order to underscore its 
deep commitment to a new and closer partnership with Russia based 
on its government's commitment to reform.


Executive Review of Cold War Laws

President Clinton and President Yeltsin discussed the 
desirability of reviewing and updating U.S. laws and regulations 
to reflect the end of the Cold War.  Congress has already acted 
to revise many laws to reflect the fact that a communist Soviet 
Union has been replaced by a democratic Russia and other 
independent states.  However, many laws and regulations remain 
that contain language and restrictions that fail to reflect the 
end of the Cold War and that unnecessarily undermine relations 
with Russia and the other new independent states.

The President today has ordered an Executive review of laws and 
regulations so that, where appropriate and consistent with U.S. 
security and other national interests, such provisions can be 
revised or removed.  He has asked Ambassador-at-large Strobe 
Talbott to coordinate this review on an expedited basis.  The 
President has indicated that he will welcome congressional 
efforts to help this review proceed as quickly as possible.

This review will weigh all considerations that pertain to 
revision of such provisions, and the initiation of the review may 
help to remedy some of the circumstances that have justified such 
provisions in the past.  For example, because the Russians are 
eager to have their status changed under the Jackson-Vanik 
legislation, President Yeltsin personally assured President 
Clinton in Vancouver that he would look into individual cases 
involving continuing restrictions on emigration from Russia.  By 
addressing such issues, this review can help strengthen the bonds 
of trust and partnership between the U.S. and Russia, and between
the U.S. and the other new independent states.


Review of COCOM

It is also time to consider expeditiously with America's allies 
the future of another Cold War institution -- the Coordinating 
Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (COCOM).  The United 
States has begun a thorough review of how to reorient export 
controls to the post-Cold War world, in which Russia is no longer 
viewed as a potential adversary, but as a potential ally in 
combatting the proliferation of sensitive technology.

Steps to Improve the Security Relationship

The President also has taken steps to move ahead on a range of 
efforts discussed in Vancouver that can strengthen U.S. security 
and improve our security relationship with the Russians and the 
other states.


Accelerated Deactivation of Nuclear Weapons

In Vancouver, the two Presidents discussed accelerating the 
process of deactivating nuclear strategic systems scheduled for 
elimination under the START I Treaty.  President Clinton has 
directed the Department of Defense to complete this process well 
in advance of the seven year reduction period outlined in START 
I.  In addition, the United States, together with Russia and the 
other relevant states of the former Soviet Union, will be 
exploring programs under Nunn-Lugar to help them to accelerate 
this process.


Multilateral Test Ban

The two Presidents agreed at Vancouver that negotiations on a 
multilateral nuclear test ban should commence at an early date, 
and that the two governments would consult with each other 
accordingly.  The United States looks forward to beginning 
consultations with Russia, our allies, and other states, on the 
specific issues related to this negotiation.  The United States 
expects to start this consultative process within the next two 
months.    


Detargeting

The two Presidents also began a dialogue on the issue of nuclear 
targeting at Vancouver.  As the United States and Russia move 
into a new relationship of strategic partnership, there is a need 
to reexamine many of the assumptions and means employed in the 
past to safeguard U.S. security against a nuclear adversary.  The 
Administration is beginning a comprehensive review of measures 
that could enhance strategic stability, including recent 
proposals for detargeting nuclear missiles.   

Other Measures to Create a New Security Relationship

In response to the incident involving a collision between US and 
Russian submarines last month, Secretary Aspin will be ready to 
discuss ways to avoid such incidents in the future with Russian 
Defense Minister Grachev during his visit to the United States in 
late May.

Secretary Aspin will also be prepared to move forward with 
Defense Minister Grachev in May to develop a combined training 
program between our two military forces and to prepare for joint 
exercises in peacekeeping, such as that authorized by the UN 
Security Council.  The United States looks forward to broadening 
such training and exercises to include other peacekeeping 
contributors, in order to improve inter-operability, readiness, 
and planning for multilateral peacekeeping operations.  The US 
and Russia are working together to convene a May Ministerial 
Meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss proposals for 
enhancing the UN's peacekeeping capability and to move 
consideration of the Secretary-General's Agenda for Peace from 
the discussion to the implementation phase.  The U.S. is also 
working with the Russians to focus specifically on improvements 
in the financing and management of UN operations.  The purpose of 
these initiatives will be to cooperate on peacekeeping for our 
participation in UN or CSCE sponsored actions.


Multilateral and Bilateral Partnership with Reform

Finally, the Administration continues to move ahead on a range of 
initiatives aimed at striking a partnership with economic and 
political reformers throughout Russia and the other states.  The 
Administration is continuing work with our G-7 partners to 
assemble the package of multilateral assistance that Secretaries 
Bentsen and Christopher recently negotiated in Tokyo.  And the 
Administration is continuing consultation with Congress over the 
further efforts the U.S. will take to assist the process of 
reform in Russia and the other states.

                           *    *    *

The Administration believes these steps can increase American 
security while improving the relationship between the U.S. and 
Russia, and between the U.S. and the other new independent 
states.