THE WHITE HOUSE
  
                     Office of the Press Secretary
  
 For Immediate Release                              June 17, 1992
  
  
                               A CHARTER FOR
                AMERICAN-RUSSIAN PARTNERSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP
  
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation,
  
 Striving to provide a solid and enduring basis for American-
 Russian relations of partnership and friendship;
  
 Believing that the advancement of the well-being, prosperity, and
 security of a democratic Russian Federation and the United States
 of America are vitally interrelated;
  
 Declaring their determination to observe strictly democratic
 principles and practices, including the rule of law and respect
 for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rights
 of persons belonging to minorities;
  
 Recognizing the importance of the rights of the individual in
 building a just and prosperous society;
  
 Reaffirming their commitment to the purposes and principles of
 the United Nations charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and
 subsequent CSCE documents;
  
 Desiring to build a democratic peace that unites the entire
 community of democratic nations;
  
 Noting their special responsibility as permanent members of the
 United Nations Security Council for maintaining international
 peace and security;
  
 Wishing to promote the development of free markets, economic
 recovery and growth, and closer economic cooperation, trade, and
 investment;
  
 Have established the following Charter for American-Russian
 Partnership and Friendship:
  
                     DEMOCRACY AND PARTNERSHIP
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation reaffirm
 their commitment to the ideals of democracy, to the primacy of
 the rule of law, and to respect for human rights and fundamental
 freedoms.  The United States of America fully supports the
 Russian Federation's efforts to build a democratic state and
 society founded on the rule of law and respect for fundamental
 human rights.  Beginning with mutual trust and respect as the
 basis for their relations, they are developing relations of
 partnership and friendship.
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation will cooperate
 closely in the international arena in the interest of advancing and
 defending common democratic values and human rights and fundamental
 freedoms.
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation intend to expand
 and intensify a comprehensive dialogue at various levels on both bilateral
 and international issues.
  
 Given the crucial importance of contacts between the President of the
 United States of America and the President of the Russian Federation for
 defining the. basic directions of bilateral relations and also in terms of
 global cooperation and stability, Summit meetings will be held on a
 regular basis.
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation express their
 determination to promote confidence and enhance understanding between
 their peoples.  They proceed on the assumption that an expansion of
 contacts between citizens will help ensure the irreversibility of the
 new quality of American-Russian relations.
  
 For this purpose, they intend to facilitate the establishment of direct
 contacts between citizens and political, social, labor, religious, and
 other organizations.
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation are prepared to
 facilitate the work of each other's diplomats, journalists, businessmen,
 scientists, and other citizens by reaching agreement in opening their
 lands to travel, by lifting other travel restrictions, and by expanding
 their consulates.
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation place particular
 emphasis on developing appropriate contacts between all levels of
 government -- federal, regional, and local -- and between private sector
 and voluntary organizations.
  
 The United States of America intends to continue cooperation toward
 strengthening democratic institutions and a rule of law state in Russia;
 including developing an independent judiciary and institutionalizing
 guarantees for respect of individual rights.
  
                     INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation reiterate their
 determination to build a democratic peace, one founded on the twin pillars
 of political and economic freedom. The United States of America and the
 Russian Federation recognize the critical importance that democracy's
 success in Russia and the other former Soviet republics can have on
 international peace and security.
  
 The United States of America and the Russian Federation, proceeding from
 the basis of mutual trust and respect and a common commitment to democracy
 and economic freedom and reaffirming the Camp David Declaration of
 February 1992; the November 1990 Charter of Paris, the December 1991,
 March 1992.