THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

In accordance with the resolution of advice and consent to the ratification of the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, adopted by the Senate of the United States on April 30, 1998, I hereby certify to the Senate that:

          In connection with Condition (2), (i) the inclusion of
       Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in NATO will not have 
       the effect of increasing the overall percentage share of the 
       United States in the common budgets of NATO; (ii) the United 
       States is under no commitment to subsidize the national 
       expenses necessary for Poland, Hungary, or the Czech Republic 
       to meet its NATO commitments; and (iii) the inclusion of 
       Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in NATO does not 
       detract from the ability of the United States to meet or to 
       fund its military requirements outside the North Atlantic
       area; and

          In connection with Condition (3), (A) the NATO-Russia 
       Founding Act and the Permanent Joint Council do not provide 
       the Russian Federation with a veto over NATO policy; (B) 
       the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the Permanent Joint Council 
       do not provide the Russian Federation any role in the North 
       Atlantic Council or NATO decision-making including (i) any 
       decision NATO makes on an internal matter; or (ii) the manner 
       in which NATO organizes itself, conducts its business, or 
       plans, prepares for, or conducts any mission that affects one 
       or more of its members, such as collective defense, as stated 
       under Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty; and (C) in
       discussions in the Permanent Joint Council (i) the Permanent 
       Joint Council will not be a forum in which NATO's basic 
       strategy, doctrine, or readiness is negotiated with the 
       Russian Federation, and NATO will not use the Permanent Joint 
       Council as a substitute for formal arms control negotiations 
       such as the adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed 
       Forces in Europe, done at Paris on November 19, 1990; (ii) 
       any discussion with the Russian Federation of NATO doctrine 
       will be for explanatory, not decision-making purposes; (iii) 
       any explanation described in the preceding clause will not 
       extend to a level of detail that could in any way compromise 
       the effectiveness of NATO's military forces, and any such
       explanation will be offered only after NATO has first set its
       policies on issues affecting internal matters; (iv) NATO will 
       not discuss any agenda item with the Russian Federation prior 
       to agreeing to a NATO position within the North Atlantic Council 
       on that agenda item; and (v) the Permanent Joint Council will 
       not be used to make any decision on NATO doctrine, strategy, or 
       readiness.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

                                   THE WHITE HOUSE,
                                   May 21, 1998.

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