President calls for CTBT ratification on 2nd anniversary of Treaty signing
India, Pakistan signal move to join Treaty Two years ago President Clinton became the first world leader to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, first proposed by President Eisenhower over 40 years ago. In that time, 150 states have signed the historic treaty, including all of our NATO allies, Russia, China, Israel, Japan, and South Korea. Twenty states have already ratified the CTBT, including Britain, France, Germany, Australia, and Brazil. President Clinton said in a statement released yesterday, “It is my strong hope that India and Pakistan will join the list, and thereby reduce nuclear tensions in South Asia. I discussed this with Prime Minister Sharif on Monday and I welcome his commitment yesterday to adhere to the treaty by next fall. I look forward to further discussion with the leaders of Pakistan and India as we emphasize our common obligation to build peace and stability.”		At the United Nations General Assembly this week, both India and Pakistan signaled their willingness to join the Treaty before a review conference in September 1999, so that the Treaty would be able to enter into force. The President’s statement continues: “Today also marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Senate bipartisan vote, 80-19, to approve the Limited Test Ban Treaty, which President Kennedy considered his greatest accomplishment as President. In 1963, Senate approval of the LTBT took place less than two months after it was signed and within seven weeks of its submission to the Senate. Contrast that with the CTBT. A year after it was submitted, the Senate has yet to take any action toward ratification. “The CTBT will ban all nuclear weapons explosions. As a result, it will constrain the development of more sophisticated and powerful nuclear weapons and give us a powerful new tool in the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The American people understand

that Senate approval of the CTBT is the right thing to do. I strongly urge the Senate to give its advice and consent as early as possible next year.” White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry said yesterday, “Here in Washington, the Congress used to know how to get business done in a timely fashion. There has been a long, long, time now in

which the CTBT has been pending. It has strong bipartisan support from a range of former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs and others, and the President ... is quite correct as he argues ... that now is the time to ratify this very important arms control measure.”