29 September 1999Fact Sheet: U.S.-Ukraine Rocket Technology Safeguards Agreement
(Protects sensitive civil aerospace technology) (330) The United States issued a fact sheet September 29 on the agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine to safeguard sensitive Ukrainian rocket technology used to launch U.S. commercial satellites. The agreement was initiated during the first Gore-Kuchma Binational Commission in 1997. It lays out procedures that will ensure that U.S.-Ukrainian cooperation is consistent with both countries' nonproliferation commitments. Following is the text of the fact sheet: (begin text) U.S. FACT SHEET U.S.-Ukraine Rocket Technology Safeguards Agreement September 29, 1999 New York At the first Gore-Kuchma Commission in May 1997, Vice President Gore initiated cooperation with Ukraine in the important and mutually beneficial civil aerospace sector. Secretary Albright's visit to Kiev in March 1998 marked the beginning of implementation of that cooperation. The Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine on Technology Safeguards Associated with Ukrainian Launch Vehicles, Missile Equipment and Technical Data for the "Sea Launch" Program (RTSA) signed by Secretary Albright and Foreign Minister Tarasyuk provides protection for sensitive, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) -- controlled Ukrainian rocket technology used in the commercial "Sea Launch" project. Sea Launch is a multinational project using Ukrainian and Russian rocket stages to launch U.S. commercial satellites from a Norwegian-built seaborne platform. The RTSA lays out procedures that will ensure our cooperation is consistent with both countries' nonproliferation commitments. Together with the Satellite Technology Safeguard Agreement signed by the Secretary of State in Kiev in March of 1998 to protect sensitive U.S. satellite technologies, the RTSA will ensure that lucrative cooperation between the United States and Ukraine also furthers the interests of nonproliferation. The RTSA, along with the Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Cooperation in the Aerospace Sector also signed today, promotes nonproliferation and benefits the security goals of both countries, while increasing economically valuable opportunities in the space sector. (end text)
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