THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 1, 1997
STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY
U.S. Policy on Arms Transfers to Latin America
Following a review of Administration security policy in Latin America, the
President has decided to establish a process for case-by-case consideration of
requests for advanced arms transfers to countries of that region. This
decision puts U.S. arms transfer policy toward Latin America on a par with our
policy toward other regions of the world and will be implemented in a way that
serves our objective of promoting stability, restraint, and cooperation in the
region.
In the last decade, Latin America has changed dramatically from a region
dominated by coups and military governments to one of democracy and civilian
control. Our partnership with countries in the region has reached a new level
of maturity, cooperation and dialogue. As their democracies strengthen and
their economies grow, the governments of some Latin American countries are now
addressing the need to modernize their militaries. They are doing so in the
context of greatly improved regional political cooperation and economic
integration, and of increased defense cooperation, transparency and
confidence-building.
It is in America's national security interest to promote stability and
security among our neighbors in the hemisphere by engaging with them as equal
partners as they modernize and restructure their defense establishments. In
considering requests from appropriate civilian authorities for advanced
conventional arms, we will take into account our guiding goals of strengthening
democracy, including civilian control of the military; focusing resources on
needed social and economic development; preventing an arms race; supporting
transparency and confidence-building; and ensuring that defense modernization
occurs responsibly and with restraint.
An interagency group has been formed under the Chairmanship of the Under
Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs to
address and coordinate our efforts to achieve our security goals for the
region, including enhancing regional cooperation and stability, and considering
requests for advanced conventional arms transfers.
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