Extraordinary Conference of the States Parties to the CFE Treaty, Vienna, 12-15 June 2007

Press release, 15 June 2007: OSCE Chairman issues statement after CFE Treaty Conference ends in Vienna

Press release, 15 June 2007: Extraordinary Conference of States Parties to CFE Treaty ends in Vienna

Press release, 14 June 2007: Russian Delegation to CFE Conference to hold press conference tomorrow, 11:30 Friday 15 June

Press release, 12 June 2007: Extraordinary Conference of States Parties to CFE Treaty opens in Vienna

Press release, 8 June 2007: Press conference with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, 12:30 Tuesday 12 June

Press release, 8 June 2007: Press conference with the Russian Delegation to the Extraordinary Conference of the States Parties to the CFE, 16:30 Monday 11 June

Press release, 8 June 2007: States Parties to CFE Treaty to hold Extraordinary Conference next week

On 28 May 2007, the Russian Federation officially requested the Depository of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty), the Government of the Netherlands, to convene an Extraordinary Conference of the States Parties in Vienna on 12-15 June 2007. The conference will be held in the Neuer Saal at the Hofburg.

According to Article XXI of the CFE Treaty, any signatory State can request such an extraordinary conference in case "exceptional circumstances" relating to the Treaty arise. The Conference has to be convened no later than 15 days after the official request is made and should in principle last no longer than three weeks.

On the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, the Russian Federation describes the exceptional circumstances serving as grounds for convening the conference as "the serious problems that have arisen with the NATO nations' implementation of the Treaty as a result of its enlargement and NATO foot-dragging on ratification of the Agreement on the Adaptation of the CFE Treaty, signed in 1999".

Following is the text of Article XXI of the CFE Treaty:

1. Forty-six months after entry into force of this Treaty, and at five-year intervals thereafter, the Depository shall convene a conference of the States Parties to conduct a review of the operation of this Treaty.

2. The Depository shall convene an extraordinary conference of the States Parties, if requested to do so by any State Party which considers that exceptional circumstances relating to this Treaty have arisen, in particular, in the event that a State Party has announced its intention to leave its group of States Parties or to join the other group of States Parties, as defined in Article II, paragraph 1, subparagraph (A). In order to enable the other States Parties to prepare for this conference, the request shall include the reason why that State Party deems an extraordinary conference to be necessary. The conference shall consider the circumstances set forth in the request and their effect on the operation of this Treaty. The conference shall open no later than 15 days after receipt of the request and, unless it decides otherwise, shall last no longer than three weeks.

3. The Depository shall convene a conference of the States Parties to consider an amendment proposed pursuant to Article XX, if requested to do so by three or more States Parties. Such a conference shall open no later than 21 days after receipt of the necessary requests.

4. In the event that a State Party gives notice of its decision to withdraw from this Treaty pursuant to Article XIX, the Depository shall convene a conference of the States Parties which shall open no later than 21 days after receipt of the notice of withdrawal in order to consider questions relating to the withdrawal from this Treaty.