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C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000960 
 
 
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2018 
TAGS: KACT PARM START JCIC INF US RS UP BO KZ
 
SUBJECT: JCIC-XXXIII:   (U) U.S OPENING PLENARY STATEMENT, 
NOVEMBER 13, 2008 
 
Classified By:  Jerry A. Taylor, United States Representative 
to the Joint Compliance and Inspection Commission. 
Reasons:  1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (U) This is JCIC-XXXIII-004. 
 
¶2.   (U) At paragraph 3 below is the text of the U.S. 
Statement that was deliverd at the Opening Plenary Meeting of 
the Thirty-third Session of the START Treaty's Joint 
Compliance and Inspection Commission (JCIC), held at the U.S. 
Mission on November 13, 2008. 
 
¶3.   (C) Begin text: 
 
 
STATEMENT 
BY THE UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE TO 
THE JOINT COMPLIANCE AND INSPECTION COMMISSION 
AT THE OPENING PLENARY MEETING 
OF THE THIRTY-THIRD SESSION 
 
November 13, 2008 
 
      The United States delegation is pleased to join with 
representatives of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of 
Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine in opening 
this thirty-third session of the START Treaty's Joint 
Compliance and Inspection Commission. 
 
I 
 
      The United States continues to have serious concerns 
regarding the conduct of reentry vehicle inspections (RVOSIs) 
of the SS-27 ICBM, in both the silo launcher configuration 
and the road-mobile configuration.  During the most recent 
SS-27 RVOSI inspection, conducted in August 2008 at the 
Tatishchevo ICBM Base, U.S. inspectors experienced problems 
with the SS-27 RV cover similar to those encountered and 
subsequently solved with SS-25 RVOSI.  Solution to the SS-25 
RVOSI issue came as a result of our mutual hard work and 
cooperative approach.  The U.S. delegation hopes that our 
discussions on the SS-27 RVOSI issue will likewise lead to 
resolution of this issue in the very near future. 
 
II 
 
      During JCIC-XXXII, the Parties held in-depth 
discussions about the conversion of the B-1B heavy bomber 
equipped for nuclear armaments other than long-range nuclear 
air launched cruise missiles to a heavy bomber equipped for 
non-nuclear armaments.  To date, 19 B-1 heavy bombers have 
been converted to heavy bombers equipped for non-nuclear 
armaments.  Russian inspectors, however, continue to question 
whether the conversion procedures used by the United States 
are consistent with paragraph 11 of Section VI of the 
Conversion or Elimination Protocol. 
 
      In October 2008, the Russian Federation conveyed an 
aide-memoire on this issue in which it reiterated the view 
that any such conversion must be irreversible.  Moreover, the 
Russian Federation asserts in its aide-memoire that the B-1 
heavy bombers continue to be capable of "carrying" nuclear 
armaments and that the distinguishing features demonstrated 
by the United States are insufficient to categorize the 
converted heavy bombers as heavy bombers equipped for 
non-nuclear armaments. 
 
      The United States does not share the view expressed in 
 
 
the aide-memoire, and the U.S. delegation will provide the 
U.S. views during this session. 
 
III 
 
      The United States notes that, beginning in 2008, and in 
keeping with the Russian Federation's statements delivered 
during the closing plenary meeting of JCIC-XXXI, the Russian 
Federation changed its elimination procedures for SS-25 ICBMs 
by also beginning to eliminate the entire self-contained 
dispensing mechanism (SCDM) associated with it.  The United 
States welcomes this change in procedure and concurs with 
Russia's declaration that these ICBMs can be removed from 
accountability.  However, to remove this issue from the JCIC 
agenda, we must address the elimination of the SCDMs 
associated with the first 109 SS-25 ICBMs to undergo the 
elimination process.  As each of the 109 SCDMs is eliminated 
- the remaining step of the SS-25 ICBM elimination process - 
its associated SS-25 ICBM can be removed from accountability. 
 The U.S. delegation awaits Russia's planned schedule as to 
when this will be accomplished in order to remove this issue 
from the JCIC agenda. 
 
IV 
 
      Article XVII of the Treaty requires that, no later than 
one year before the expiration of the 15-year period, the 
Parties meet to consider the question of whether the START 
Treaty will be extended.  This issue was briefly discussed 
during JCIC-XXXII, and the Parties noted that the exact 
format, timing, level of representation and the terms of the 
meeting would be agreed to via diplomatic channels. 
Therefore, the United States has placed on the agenda for 
JCIC-XXXIII this issue to satisfy the Article XVII 
requirement to meet to consider whether to extend START.  The 
United States looks forward to discussing this issue with the 
Parties; however, it should be noted that the Treaty does not 
require the Parties to make a decision about START extension 
at this meeting.  Moreover, the United States does not expect 
such a decision to be reached at this meeting. 
 
V 
 
      As we look to the future, it is only prudent that the 
Parties begin to prepare for the closing of the portal 
monitoring facility at Votkinsk.  With this in mind, the 
United States listened to the Russian delegation's concerns 
expressed during JCIC-XXXII and developed a proposal which 
was communicated through diplomatic channels in October 2008. 
 The U.S. delegation looks forward to discussing this in a 
working group format during this session. 
VI 
 
      In closing, I welcome our Treaty partners to the 
thirty-third session of the JCIC.The U.S. delegation looks 
forward to working with our Treaty partners to fulfill the 
mission of this Commission -- to discuss and resolve 
questions about Treaty implementation and compliance issues. 
Thank you. 
 
¶4.  (U) Taylor sends. 
TICHENOR 
 
 
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