October 15, 1999
JOINT UNITED STATES - NORWAY STATEMENT

                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                         Office of Press Secretary

For Immediate Release                      October 15, 1999


                  JOINT UNITED STATES - NORWAY STATEMENT

   The President and the Prime Minister met today at the White House to
review the many accomplishments of the enduring U.S.-Norwegian partnership
and to explore new areas of cooperation.

   Transatlantic solidarity and mutual security in NATO form the core of
the U.S.-Norwegian relationship.  President Clinton reaffirmed the strong
U.S. commitment to the security and defense of Norway.  The two leaders
reiterated their commitments to the Washington Summit?s vision of an
Alliance devoted to collective defense, capable of addressing current and
future challenges, strengthened by and open to new members, and working
with others in a mutually reinforcing way to enhance Euro-Atlantic security
and stability.  They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen
European security and defense capabilities for crisis management.

   The Prime Minister and the President expressed satisfaction that the
concerted action of the NATO Alliance achieved an end to Milosevic?s
campaign of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and created the conditions for the
safe return of refugees.  They reaffirmed their strong commitment to
democracy and the rule of law in Kosovo, and their support for the
Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe as a means of achieving lasting
peace and stability in the region.

   The President congratulated the Prime Minister on Norway's essential
contributions as Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE.  The two leaders
underscored the importance of arms control, in particular the 30-nation
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).   The United States
and Norway agreed to intensify their efforts, together with other Treaty
partners, to reach agreement on adaptation of the CFE Treaty for signature
by Heads of State and Government at the November 18-19 OSCE Summit in
Istanbul.

   The United States and Norway share a vital interest in the development
of a democratic, prosperous, and stable Russia.  Russia has an opportunity
to further entrench its transition to democracy by ensuring free and fair
elections in the coming months for its parliament and president.  The
President and the Prime Minister recognized Russia?s struggle against
terrorism and reaffirmed their support for Russia?s territorial integrity.
They urged a constructive dialogue between the Russian government and
legitimate leaders in the North Caucasus that could lead to peaceful
resolution of conflict, and called on all concerned to avoid indiscriminate
use of force and to respect human rights.  The Prime Minister and the
President agreed that increased international efforts are called for to
deal with the problem of nuclear waste in Russia, including that from
decommissioned nuclear submarines.  The two leaders called on Russia to
accept the 1993 amendment to the London Convention that establishes a
mandatory moratorium on all dumping of radioactive waste at sea.  They
welcomed increased international cooperation through the Arctic Council and
the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program.  Working closely
with local governments and communities, they pledged to promote sustainable
development and protection of the fragile Arctic environment.

   The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the work of the Barents and
Baltic Sea States Councils and the extensive U.S.-Norway cooperation under
the U.S. Northern European Initiative.  They underlined the importance of
fully integrating the Baltic countries into the European and trans-Atlantic
community, and agreed to continue support for language training programs in
Latvia and Estonia to foster social integration.

   The Prime Minister and the President share concern over the growing
dangers to international security posed by the proliferation of small arms
and light weapons in areas of conflict and post-conflict.  They announced
the establishment of a Norway-U.S. working group to marshal support for
nations which agree to destroy surplus small arms.

   The two leaders noted the extensive U.S.-Norwegian commercial
relationship and affirmed that the United States and Norway attach great
importance to the upcoming WTO round in Seattle.  They recognized Norway's
role as a major international supplier of oil and gas to the world, and
agreed U.S. industry will remain a key partner in petroleum production on
the Norwegian continental shelf.

   The President expressed his appreciation for Norway's strong support of
the Middle East peace process through the Oslo process, and saluted
Norway's leadership role in the Palestinian donor effort.  The two leaders
agreed to intensify their efforts to achieve a lasting settlement in the
Middle East and other conflict areas.  They stressed the need to strengthen
the United Nations' capabilities in responding to the challenges of a new
Millennium.  They agreed that the protection of human rights and dignity,
eradication of poverty, and the safeguarding of the global environment were
crucial to continued progress.  The two leaders agreed to work together to
reduce the debt of heavily-indebted poor countries and increase the support
among creditors to maximize the benefits of the debt reduction initiative.

   Finally, the two leaders agreed to continue the excellent cooperation
between the two countries through ongoing dialogue on the full range of
bilateral, regional and global issues that join the United States and
Norway.

                                    ###