Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus - The Regular Armed Forces Treaty in Europe

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1. Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty) and Agreement
on the CFE Treaty Adaptation

    The CFE Treaty was signed on November 19, 1990 by 22 States Parties. It entered into force on July 17, 1992. After the collapse of the USSR and the Warsaw Treaty, separation of Czechoslovakia and unification of Germany, 30 countries joined the CFE Treaty, including the Republic of Belarus that ratified the Treaty on October 22, 1992.
    The CFE Treaty objectives are:
    - prevention of the use of force or a threat of the use of force against territorial integrity or political independence of any state;
    - prevention of any military conflict in Europe;
    - achievement of greater stability and security in Europe;
    - replacement of military confrontation with the new security pattern;
    - establishment of secure and stable balance of conventional armed forces in Europe;
    - elimination of disparities prejudicial to the stability and security;
    - elimination of a capability for a surprise attack.
    In fact, it was the Treaty between NATO countries and the Warsaw Pact countries with the main objective to establish more secure and safer balance in Europe by reducing major armaments of the conventional armed forces, namely: battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, (armoured infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, and heavy armament vehicles), artillery systems, combat aircraft and attack helicopters.
    The main activities within the Treaty implementation are the following:
    - reduction of armaments and equipment;
    - exchange of notifications;
    - control over compliance with the Treaty commitments (i.e. conduct of inspections);
    - co-ordination and solution of any uncertainties within a consultative body - the Joint Consultative Group (JCG).
    Maximum levels of Treaty Limited Equipment holdings were set for each State Party. The armaments and equipment above these levels were subject to reduction within 40 months after the Treaty entry into force, i.e. by November 17, 1995. Belarus together with Armenia and Azerbaijan reduced their armaments and equipment by mid-1996 due to financial and other objective reasons. Other States Parties demonstrated their understanding of the problems.
    In accordance with the Agreement on the Principles and the Order of the CFE Treaty Implementation signed on May 15, 1992 in Tashkent by CIS countries, the following maximum levels of Treaty Limited Equipment (TLE) holdings were set for Belarus: battle tanks - 1,800, armoured combat vehicles - 2,600, artillery - 1,615, combat aircraft - 260, combat helicopters - 80. In addition, Belarus agreed to have not more than 64 armoured vehicles launched bridges in active units. In 1993 employing the Treaty mechanism Belarus adjusted its maximum level of combat aircraft holdings from 260 to 294.
    Totally, the Republic of Belarus reduced 1,773 battle tanks, 1,341 ACVs and 130 items of combat aircraft. The holdings of artillery and aircraft were not above the ceilings established for the Republic, so they were not reduced.
    Annual information and notification exchanges between the CFE States Parties are carried out in writing using the diplomatic channels and the OSCE Communication Network.
    The annual information exchanges include the following:
    - organisation of command of the Army, Air Force and Air Defence Aviation;
    - total number of battle tanks, ACVs, artillery, combat aircraft and attack helicopters subject to numerical limits;
    - information on the aggregate personnel strength;
    - information on the location, quantity and types of conventional armaments and equipment;
    - information on the location of conventional armaments and equipment not in service with the regular Armed Forces;
    - information on OOVs (Objects of Verification) and declared sites;
    - information on POEs (Point of Entry/Exit).
    The process of armaments and equipment reduction, their conversion, the exchanged data submitted by the Treaty States Parties are subject to verification through reduction inspections, certification inspections, inspections of declared sites and specified areas. Thus, since July 1992, i.e. from the start of the CFE Treaty implementation, to the date the Republic of Belarus has hosted and escorted 188 foreign inspection teams which have conducted 53 inspections of reductions sites and 135 declared site and specified area inspections. In its turn, over the same period, Belarusian inspection teams have conducted 128 inspections on the territory of Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, as well as OOVs of the United Kingdom, the United States and Belgium on the territory of Germany. In addition, Belarusian inspectors took part in conducting 91 inspections as members of multinational inspection teams led by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the United States, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.
    The First Review Conference on the CFE Treaty Implementation held in Vienna in May, 1996 initiated the process of the CFE Treaty adaptation. Its purpose was to bring the CFE Treaty provisions in line with changes in the military and political situation in Europe which occurred since the date of its signing.
    As a result of the three years of joint efforts taken by delegations of all CFE States Parties within the Joint Consultative Group (JCG), the Treaty Adaptation Agreement was elaborated which was signed by heads of states and governments at the OSCE Summit in Istanbul on November 19, 1999. The agreement will enter into force after its ratification by all States Parties. The Republic of Belarus was the first among the States Parties to complete the national procedures on the Agreement ratification in 2000.
    The CFE Treaty Adaptation Agreement introduces amendments to the Treaty currently in force, primarily concerning the shift from block limitations to national and territorial ceilings of conventional armaments and equipment, and "openness" of the Treaty for other States in the OSCE region.
    It is obvious that the adapted CFE Treaty after its entry into force would facilitate keeping the balance of conventional forces in Europe and it would serve as an efficient mechanism of control over armaments and military equipment in the area of application - from the Urals to the Atlantic.

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© Ministry of Defence of RB Developed by "Open Contact"
© Ministry of Defence of RB Developed by "Open Contact"