NEWS RELEASES
CANADA AND UNITED STATES TO EXTEND DEFENCE AGREEMENT
June 16, 2000 (3:55 p.m. EDT) No. 152
CANADA AND UNITED STATES TO EXTEND DEFENCE AGREEMENT
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Minister of National Defence Art Eggleton today announced that
Canada and the United States have agreed to extend the North American Aerospace Defence (NORAD)
Agreement for a further five years from its current expiry date of May 12, 2001. The arrangement was
concluded today when Minister Axworthy and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright exchanged notes in
Washington, D.C.
"NORAD has been the foundation of Canada-U.S. defence co-operation since 1958," said Mr. Axworthy.
"Continued aerospace defence co-operation through NORAD is an effective way to ensure that Canada retains
control over Canadian airspace. It reflects the special relationship we enjoy with the United States and is a
natural complement to the extensive political, economic and social ties that link our two countries."
"Through outstanding co-operation and cohesiveness, NORAD has proven itself effective in watching, warning
and responding," said Mr. Eggleton. "By adapting to the changing world, NORAD continues to play an important
role in the defence of Canada and the United States. Furthermore, the benefits to Canada of the NORAD
Agreement are enormous. We share costs, we share technology and, ultimately, we share in the world's most
advanced and sophisticated aerospace defence system."
NORAD has evolved over the years in response to changes in the international security environment. When the
Agreement was last renewed in 1996, NORAD was transformed from a Cold War defence arrangement to one
appropriate to the new security environment. The 1996 Agreement, which will be extended unchanged,
acknowledges that progress in strategic nuclear arms control has significantly reduced the threat from ballistic
missiles or long-range manned bombers. At the same time, the Agreement takes account of the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction, the growing use of space and the increasing illegitimate uses of North American
airspace for such purposes as drug smuggling.
NORAD enhances the ability of the Government of Canada to ensure that its will is respected throughout all
areas of Canadian jurisdiction. It does this by providing the capability to monitor and control developments
within our airspace. NORAD provides a comprehensive warning capability against ballistic missiles, while also
providing a level of defence against cruise missiles and intruding aircraft. NORAD, in co-operation with the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police and U.S. drug law enforcement agencies, also assists in the detection and
monitoring of aircraft suspected of illegal drug trafficking.
NORAD has no national missile defence (NMD) mission, and the extension of the NORAD Agreement has no
bearing on any decision the government may eventually take on NMD.
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The Joint Statement on the Extension of the NORAD Agreement is attached.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
Randy Mylyk
Office of the Minister of National Defence
(613) 996-3100
Media Liaison Office
Department of National Defence
(613) 996-2353
This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca.
CANADA/UNITED STATES JOINT STATEMENT
EXTENSION OF THE NORAD AGREEMENT
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright today signed
an agreement to extend the North American Aerospace Defence (NORAD) Agreement for a further five years
from its current expiry date of May 12, 2001.
NORAD has been the foundation of Canada-US defence co-operation since 1958. It is emblematic of the
special relationship between Canada and the United States and is a natural complement to the extensive
political, economic, and social ties that link the two countries.
NORAD provides a comprehensive warning capability against ballistic missiles, while also providing a level of
defence against cruise missiles and intruding aircraft. NORAD, in co-operation with the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police and U.S. drug law enforcement agencies, also assists in the detection and monitoring of aircraft
suspected of illegal drug trafficking.
NORAD has evolved over the years in response to changes in the international security environment. When the
Agreement was last renewed in 1996, NORAD was transformed from a Cold War defence arrangement to one
appropriate to the new security environment. The 1996 Agreement, which is being extended unchanged,
acknowledges that progress in strategic nuclear arms control has significantly reduced the threat from ballistic
missiles or long-range manned bombers. At the same time, the Agreement takes account of the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction, the growing use of space and the increasing illegitimate uses of North American
airspace for such purposes as drug smuggling.
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