FOR MEDIA 7 June 1985
The Government considers it very important that the US
and the USSR continue their present policies of not
undercutting the SALT II agreement, pending the
negotiation of a new agreement providing for significant
reductions in the nuclear forces.
The SALT II agreement signed in 1979 but never
ratified expires on 31 December 1985. Of more
immediate concern is that, in the coming months, the
United States will come up against one of the key sublimits
imposed by the Treaty the ceiling of 1200 on
MIRVed ballistic missiles.
Although SALT II is far from ideal as a measure of
nuclear arms control, its key provisions serve as an
important framework of constraint and impart a
valuable degree of predictability to the future
evolution of the strategic forces.
The Government appreciates US concerns about Soviet
compliance with existing arms control agreements,
including SALT II. Nevertheless, it'remains our view
that the Soviet Union has adhered to the broad terms of
both SALT I and SALT II and, so far as we are. aware, is
not contemplating steps which could seriously
destabilise the strategic balance or result in a
meaningful strategic advantage.
With the current effort by the superpowers to devise a
new framework for the control-and reduction of the
nuclear arsenals at the very difficult formative stage,
the Government sees it as particularly important to
preserve the existing framework.
We consider that the maintenance of the SALT framework
contributes to the security of the United States and its
allies, includin6* Australia.
Moreover, we believe that the goal of nuclear nonproliferation,
to which the Australian Government is
strongly committed, would not be served by public
evidence that the two superpowers were removing defined
and agreed restraints on their nuclear capabilities.
The removal of such restraints would not augur well for
the NPT Review Conference, due to get under way in
August this year.
2.
With these considerations in mind, the Government has in
recent days communicated its strong view to the United
States and Soviet Governments that the existing SALT II
limits should continue to be observed, while the Geneva
arms control negotiations pursue new agreements.