§ Lord Brougham and Vauxasked Her Majesty's Government:
What developments have recently taken place with regard to the implementation of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyAn agreement to apply the CFE treaty provisionally from 17th July 1992 was signed by all 29 CFE States Parties at the Helsinki Summit on 10th July. This was in response to the view of many States Parties that implementation of the Treaty, which was signed on 19th November 1990, should not be delayed any further by the failure of some States Parties to ratify quickly. The Treaty entered into force definitively on 9th November, following ratification by the last two States Parties, Belarus and Kazakhstan, on 30th October.
98WAIn the 120-day period of intensive inspections since 17th July, the UK has conducted 21 inspections in the countries of the former Warsaw Pact, and has received seven inspections from them. On 14th November the Treaty moved into its three-year reduction phase, in the course of which States Parties will reduce their equipment holdings to the limits specified by the Treaty. We are satisfied that the CFE Treaty, which we regard as a cornerstone for co-operative security in Europe, has been properly implemented so far.