Diblhm ll sews 90074 0 La Unofficial translation 94% gm 1 flu a 2'1 i '53 His Excellency a 5 Ronald w REAGAN 7 Mt The President of th - 70 NLS United States grin-5L3 smug em January '14 1986 Ibar Mr President After our meeting in Geneva where we agreed that the questions of security are central for our relations I have carefully thought through the ways to implement the decisions of principle which were taken as a result of our meeting I am convinced that we should work for packing the period till the next planned Soviet-American summit with constructive efforts of both sides aimed at achieving concrete agreements first of all on the urgent problems of arms limitation and reduction I am certainly far from being forgetful about the major differences which remain between our approaches to the resolution of these problems But all these things notwithstanding it is also impossible to deny that there exist now serious prerequisites to overcome the difficulties we face and without wasting time to arrive at mutualLy acceptable agreements in the interests of enhancing the security of all the peop- les A foundation for that is the joint document in which we clearly expressed ourselves in favor of preventing nuclear as well as con ventional war between our countries reaffirmed our mutual willing ness to follow the path of policy ruling out the seeking of military superiOrity New this declaration has to be substantiated by concrete actions A whole series of opportunities exists in this regard The task is to make use of them in practice We are for casting aside the stereo types and outdated modes of thinking hindering the advance move ment and for tackling in a bold and new manner the resolution of issues which you and I simply do not have the right to postpone In your New Year address to the people of the Soviet Union you said that it was your dream to one day free mankind from the 1 a threat of nuclear destruction But why make the realization of this dream conditional on the development of new types of weapons space - weapons in-this case Why take this extremely dangerous path which does not hold a promise for disarmament when it is possible already now to get down to freeing the world from the existing arsenals We propose a different path which will really enable us to enter the third millenium without nuclear weapons Instead of spending the next 10 15 years developing new sophisticated weapons in space which are allegedly intended to make nuclear weapons obsolete and impotent wouldn't it be better to address those weapons them selves and take that time to reduce them to zero Let us agree on a stage-byustage program which would lead to a complete nuclear dis- armament everywhere already by the turn of the next century The Soviet Union envisages the following procedure of the reduc tion of nuclear weapons both delivery vehicles and warheads down to their complete liquidation The first stage It would last approximaitely 5 8 years During this period the USSR and US would reduce by half their nuclear weapons reaching the territories of each other There would remain no more than 6000 warheads on the delivery vehicles still in their possession It goes without saying that such reductions take place on the basis of the mutual renunciation by the USSR and US of the development testing and deployment of attack space weapons As the Soviet Union has repeatedly warned the development of space weapons will dash the hopes for reductions of nuclear weapons on Earth The Soviet Union as is known has long been proposing that Europe be freed from nuclear weapons both medium range and tactical We are in favor of reaching and implementing already at the first stage a decision to eliminate completely the medium range missiles of the USSR and US in the European zone - both ballistic and cruise missiles - as the first step towards freeing the European continent from nuclear weapons In this context naturally the US would have to assume the obligation nottm transfer its strategic and medium range missiles to other countries and Britain and France not to build up their corresponding nuclear weapons 3 From the outset in our view it is necessary for the USSR and US to agree to cease all nuclear explosions and to call upon other states to join such moratorium as soon as possible I shall return to this issue later The second stage It has to start no later than 1990 and last 5 7 years Britain France and China start to join nuclear disarma ment To begin with they could assume the obligation to freeze all their nuclear armaments and not to have them on the territiories of other countries The USSR and US continue the reduction on which they agreed at the first stage and carry out further measures to liquidate their me dium range nuclear weapons and freeze their tactical nuclear systems After the USSR and US complete the reduction by 50 percent of their relevant armaments another radical step is taken - all nuclear powers liquidate their tactical nuclear weapons that is systems with ranges radius of action of up to 1000 kilometers At this stage the Soviet American agreement to ban attack space weapons must become multilateral necessarily involving all leading industrial powers All nuclear powers would cease nuclear testing A prohibition would be introduced on the development of non nuclear weapons based on new physical principles which by their destructive capabilities come close to nuclear or other systems of mass destruction No later than 1995 the third stage will start During this stage the liquidation of all still remaining nuclear weapons is completed By the end of 1999 no more nuclear weapons remain on Earth A uni versal agreement is worked out that these weapons shall never be resurrected again It is envisaged that special procedures'will be worked out for the destruction of nuclear weapons as well as for the desmantling conversion or destruction of their delivery vehicles In this context agreement will be reached on the quantitiescniweapons to be destroyed at each stage the places where they will be destroyed etc The verification of the weapons destroyed or limited would be carried out both by national technical means and by on site inspection The USSR is prepared to come to terms on any other additional verifi cation measures All this ll become possible if we close the way for the arms race in outer space I would like to hope that you Mr President will consider this question with all the attention it deserves In connection with the problem of nuclear arms I would like to address once again the question of the cessation of nuclear explo sions We have already discussed it with you at length in particular in our correspondence In your letter of December 24 you say that nuclear tests are important to ensure the safety reliability and effectiveness of nuclear weapons Such is your argument It appears to us however that a different approach is required It should be considered what would provide greater security the cessation or the countinuation of nuclear explosions Our conclusion is that it is the cessation of explosions which would bring enormous really tangible benefits both for enhancing the security of the USSR and USA and for strengthening strategic stability Guided by the objective of facilitating the termination of the nuclear arms race the Soviet Union has taken the decision to prolong its unilateral moratorium on any nuclear explosions for three more months I think there is no need to prove the signifi cance of this action Moreover this is a practical demonstration of the restraint on the need to excercise which we agreed with you in Geneva I will be frank we made this step intending to give to the American side additional time for taking a decision which is expected from Washington by world public a decision that the American side too will stop its nuclear tests Should the moratorium become mutual it would give a powerfull impetus to reaching agreements on the limitation and reduction of nuclear armaments to strengthening and broadening the mutual trust The questions of verification do not represent an obstacle Here we could go far up to if necessary mutual onrsite inspections for verifying the nonuconducting of the explosions The Soviet side is ready in principle to discuss the questionsof verification on the level of experts but of verification precisely of the non conducting of nuclear explosions and not of anything else 5 As to the question you raised of centers to reduce nuclear risk it could become a subject for discussion at the upcoming round of the Soviet-American negotiations on nuclear and space weapons We are convinced that there exist good opportuniti es for moving forward as regards the banning and non proliferation of chemical weapons the resolution of the issues discussed in Vienna and Stockholm The Soviet delegations to the relevant fora have clear cut instructions to work towards successful accomplishments there through joint efforts of all the participants in the talks We proceed from the assumption that the American side too will act in the same direction I hope that the new major initiatives I outlined will be cone sidered by you Mr President with all the seriousness and favorably and that a positive response to them will follow I also would like to hope that agreements on the range of prob lems I addressed would become a weighty asset of our upcoming meeting with you We are ready at various levels - to work together for the sake of ensuring its success Such a success of course will be possible if the striving for it is shown by practical deeds on both Sides 0 SincereLy M GORBACHEV