THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

The President welcomes the release of the Report of the Presidential Advisory Board on Arms Proliferation Policy. The Board has dedicated more than a year to producing this comprehensive and thoughtful evaluation of an issue of vital importance to U.S. interests.

The Board's conclusions support the central tenets of this Administration's conventional arms transfer policy. The Report acknowledges the legitimate role arms transfers play in support of U.S. and allied security interests, but notes that excessive transfers and lack of transparency can be highly destabilizing. The Report also notes that effective control of conventional weapons transfers requires serious multilateral efforts and continued high-level attention.

This Administration has already taken major steps in this area. The President has set forth a set of comprehensive criteria for the control of conventional arms in order to support transfers that advance the security of the United States, its friends and allies, while restraining arms transfers that may be destabilizing or threatening to regional peace and security. At home, we have taken a number of steps to streamline our own system of export controls. Abroad, the United States has taken the lead in seeking to establish an effective follow-on regime to COCOM that will advance transparency in arms transfers, establish serious international controls and promote restraint.

The Administration will be studying the Board's recommendations carefully and take them into account as it further develops its policy. We believe the Report will contribute greatly to our efforts to defend American interests and address the dangers of potentially destabilizing arms races that threaten those interests worldwide.

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