16 June 2000 Text: U.S., Canada Extend NORAD Agreement The United States and Canada have extended the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Agreement, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher announced in a June 16 press release. The agreement, which "provides a comprehensive warning capability against ballistic missiles, while also providing a level of defense against cruise missiles and intruding aircraft," is "emblematic of the special relationship between the United States and Canada and is a natural complement to the extensive political, economic and social ties that link the two countries," Boucher said. Following is the text of the State Department release: U.S. Department Of State Office of the Spokesman June 16, 2000 Statement By Richard Boucher, Spokesman Extension of the NORAD Agreement Following is the text of a joint United States-Canada statement on the extension of the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Agreement: U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today signed an agreement to extend the North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Agreement for a further five years from its current expiry date of May 12, 2001. NORAD has been the foundation of U.S.-Canada defense cooperation since 1958. It is emblematic of the special relationship between the United States and Canada 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 defense against cruise missiles and intruding aircraft. NORAD, in cooperation 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 defense 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. (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) Return to the Washington File