USSR: CHEMICAL WEAPONS TREATY INITATIVE

Created: 1/24/1986

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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USSK: CHEMICAL WEAPONS TREATY INITATIVE

In hisanuary state-tent Gorbachev called for Intensified effort toultilateral treaty banning cheolcal weapons. He indicated Soviet willingness to declare the location of chemical weapon production facilities and stop production. The Soviets would be willing to negotiate toward procedures for the elimination of chemical weapons stockpiles. Once the treaty cane into force, destruction of stockpiles would take place under international control including provision of on-site verificationJ I

Coonent: Gorbachev's language opens the possibility of an offernilateral declarationreeze on the production of chemical weaponsew Soviet willingness to consider further measures for international on-site verification.!

Shevardnadze visit to the Conference on Disarmament wouldual track propaganda and negotiation offensive in multilateral fora. Any actual proposal In the CW negotiations will probably not go beyond Gorbachev's statements but putting verification on the table will giveropaganda advantage. The Soviets appear confident that concensus procedures and the reluctance of US allies and advanced Third World countries to submit to challenge Inspection will allow then to manage the multilateral negotiations to protect their interestsJ