U.S.-PROPOSED TEXT OF A JOINT UNDERSTANDING

S E C R E T STATE 060487 SIPDIS, GENEVA FOR JCIC E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2029 TAGS: PARM PREL KACT START JCIC US KTIA RS SUBJECT: U.S.-PROPOSED TEXT OF A JOINT UNDERSTANDING REGARDING A START FOLLOW-ON TREATY REF: STATE 50910 Classified By: Jerry A. Taylor, Director, VIC/SI. Reason: 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (U) Assistant Secretary for Verification, Compliance, and Implementation, Rose Gottemoeller, during continuing negotiations regarding a START follow-on treaty with Russian MFA Director of Security and Disarmament Affairs Anatoliy Antonov, undertook to provide to the Russian Federation the U.S. draft text for a joint understanding regarding a START follow-on treaty. ¶2. (S) ACTION REQUEST: Embassy Moscow is requested to provide the text contained in paragraph 3 below to appropriate host government officials in the form of a diplomatic note as soon as possible on June 15. Washington will provide the embassy with a courtesy Russian-language translation of the note in paragraph 3; however, delivery of the demarche should not be delayed if the translation is delayed. Embassy should inform the Russian Federation that elements of the U.S. Non-paper contained in the reference cable but not included in the U.S. Non-Paper on a "Joint Understanding" remain U.S. proposals for the START Follow-on Treaty. Embassy is requested to confirm the delivery of the note, the name and office of the official to whom it was delivered, the date of the delivery, and any comment/reaction provided at that time. ¶3. (S/Releasable to the Russian Federation) Begin text. U.S. Non-paper (Date) JOINT UNDERSTANDING The President of the United States of America and the President of the Russian Federation have decided on further reductions in their nation's strategic nuclear forces. Specifically, the two presidents have decided to promptly conclude a treaty that replaces the current START Treaty, to include the following elements: ¶1. Reduction of their strategic nuclear forces, within the seven-year period following entry into force of the treaty, to no more than: (a) An aggregate total of 1500-1600 operationally deployed strategic nuclear warheads for each nation. (b) An aggregate total of 1100 deployed ICBMs and their associated launchers, deployed SLBMs and their associated launchers, and deployed heavy bombers for each nation. ¶2. Provisions for calculating these limits, to include the following: (a) The number of operationally deployed strategic nuclear warheads to be determined as: (i) For an ICBM or SLBM, nuclear warheads on an ICBM in its launcher or on an SLBM in its launcher onboard a submarine. (ii) For heavy bombers, nuclear warheads loaded on a heavy bomber and nuclear warheads for heavy bombers located in specified weapon storage areas associated with or directly supporting heavy bomber air bases. (b) The number of deployed ICBMs and their associated launchers, deployed SLBMs and their associated launchers, and deployed heavy bombers for each nation to be determined as: (i) All such ICBMs and their associated launchers, and all such SLBMs and their associated launchers tested for the delivery of nuclear warheads; (ii) All deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. (c) Launchers that are no longer capable of supporting operational ICBMs or SLBMs, and heavy bombers that have been converted to non-nuclear only roles will not be subject to the treaty. ¶3. Provisions from the START Treaty on definitions, data exchanges, notifications, eliminations, inspections and verification procedures, as well as confidence building and transparency measures, as adapted, simplified, and made less costly, as appropriate. ¶4. Establishment of an implementation body to resolve questions related to treaty implementation. ¶5. The provisions of the treaty will not apply to existing patterns of cooperation in the area of strategic offensive arms between a Party and a third state. ¶6. A duration of the treaty of ten years, unless it is superseded before that time by a subsequent treaty on the reduction of strategic nuclear forces. The two Presidents direct that the treaty be promptly negotiated so that they may sign and submit it for ratification in their respective countries. The two Presidents have also directed that the treaty be accompanied by a commitment to initiate promptly negotiations directed toward concluding a subsequent treaty that achieves additional, further reductions in overall nuclear warheads, including non-strategic and non-deployed warheads. Signed at (City),this (date) day of (month), 2009, in two originals, in the English and Russian languages. FOR THE UNITED STATES FOR THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION OF AMERICA (President Obama) (President Medvedev) End text. CLINTON