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29 November 2007

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3/13/2008 [Total Votes: 956, Hits: 1028]Print

Former diplomats and scientists around the globe appeal to bring the adapted CFE Treaty into Force -join and sign this appeal! The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty) is a cornerstone of European security and the key element of the co-operative approach to security agreed upon in the Charter of Paris of November 1990. But now, due to disagreements between NATO countries and Russia, the whole regime is in serious danger. The States parties to the treaty are currently engaged in efforts to seek a compromise that could salvage this vital document.

Against this background, we are launching an international appeal to "Bring the adapted Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty) into force", which is supported by 33 former diplomats and senior research associates from ten countries that are States parties to the treaty list of signatories:
http://ifsh.de/IFSH_english/aktuelles/list.htm

In order to underline the international character of the appeal, it is being circulated in
 
English, http://ifsh.de/dokumente/EnglishCFELetter.pdf
Russian http://ifsh.de/dokumente/RussianCFELetter.pdf
German http://ifsh.de/dokumente/GermanCFELetter.pdf
 
The appeal will be published on the websites of the following organizations on 28 November 2007:
 
Arms Control Association (ACA), Washington, D.C., USA www.armscontrol.org
 
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt am Main (PRIF), Germany www.hsfk.de
 
Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH), Germany www.ifsh.de

To express your support for this vital cause and to sign the appeal, please send an e-mail to cfe-appeal@ifsh.de or cfe-appeal@hsfk.de detailing your current and former functions (for publication) and a telephone number for possible inquiries. The appeal is in the public domain, and we explicitly encourage its further distribution.
 
Text of International Appeal:
 
Bring the Adapted CFE Treaty into Force - International Appeal
 
This appeal was initiated by former diplomats and senior research associates from different nations and research institutions in Europe and North America in order to support the ratification of the Adapted Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. The treaty is a key element of the European security structure and an indispensable political symbol of security cooperation which should not be destroyed.
 
It is with great concern that we, the undersigned, note the Russian Federation's announcement that it intends to suspend implementation of the 1990 Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty on December 12, 2007. We fear that such a move could not only doom the CFE Treaty, but that it also could prevent the entry into force of the 1999 Adapted CFE Treaty, thus risking a collapse of the entire CFE regime. Such a development would undermine co-operative security in Europe and lead to new dividing lines and confrontation.
 
The CFE Treaty is a cornerstone of European security and the key element of the co-operative approach to security as agreed upon in the Charter of Paris of November 1990. The accord's invaluable verification regime, including regular information exchanges and on-site inspections, has shown that confidence and security can be better achieved through cooperation and openness than by competition and secrecy. Additionally, stability throughout Europe is in-creased by adherence to specific limitations.
 
But now, due to disagreements between NATO and Russia, the whole regime is in serious danger. Russia asserts that the combination of NATO expansion and the alliance's failure to ratify the Adapted CFE Treaty threaten Russian security. NATO states claim that the continued presence of Russian forces in Georgia and Moldova, despite a prior commitment by Moscow that they will be withdrawn, does not permit ratification of the revised accord. We firmly believe that all the states-parties should abide by the core CFE principles and that current disagreements must not be allowed to erode or destroy a regime fundamental to the security of the whole of Europe.
 
The CFE Treaty made a substantial contribution to ending the Cold War, enabling the peace-ful unification of Germany and the peaceful transformation of the states of Central Europe and the successor states of the Soviet Union, and preventing inter-state conventional war in Europe. Indeed, the treaty resulted in the destruction of more than 60,000 heavy conventional weapons and the elimination in Europe of capabilities for large-scale offensive action and surprise attack. Conventional stability also contributes to making nuclear weapons in Europe unnecessary.
 
Beyond that, the CFE Treaty has contributed to stabilizing sub-regional military power rela-tions and to limiting sub-regional arms races. The treaty also has provided a model for regu-lating the military aspects of violent conflicts in Southeast Europe. If the CFE regime is main-tained, it can serve as a model for other regional peace and stability processes.
 
Bringing the Adapted CFE Treaty into force is an important means to include more states in an integrated European arms control regime and thus maintain and extend key elements of security co-operation in Europe. Entry into force of the Adapted CFE Treaty also is necessary to ensure that the instruments of European security co-operation keep pace with the global challenges to European security today, including the new threats posed by transnational terrorist actors. It's loss will resurrect past problems and yesterday's mistrust.
 
We therefore appeal to the governments of all CFE states-parties to preserve the CFE regime and bring into force the Adapted Treaty as early as possible. Ratification by those who have not yet done so should go hand in hand with constructive new approaches to resolve current disputes.
 
All states and peoples of Europe would lose if the CFE regime, an unprecedented instrument for the preservation of peace and with greatest importance to Europe's future, would now be destroyed.
 

Related Tags:

Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Diplomats and Scientists, CFE Treaty, Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Cornerstone of European Security, NATO Countries, Senior Research Associates, Arms Control Association, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, University of Hamburg, Research Institutions in Europe, Conventional Armed Forces, Russian Federation, Charter of Paris, Threaten Russian Security, Russian Forces in Georgia, Cold War, Soviet Union

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