Termination of the Treaty

Protocol on the Termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, signed in Warsaw on May 14, 1955, and of the Protocol on the Extension of Its Term, signed on April 26, 1985, in Warsaw. Prague, 1 July 1991

The Russian-language legal text is the cleanest statement of termination as a matter of treaty law. It is especially valuable for readers who want the “hard” juridical record rather than memoir or journalism: who signed, what was terminated, and how the end of obligations was formalized. It also helps explain why the dissolution was a process that extended beyond the symbolism of 1991.

Russian-language Source: Протокол о прекращении действия Договора о дружбе, сотрудничестве и взаимной помощи, подписанного в Варшаве 14 мая 1955 года, и Протокола о продлении срока его действия, подписанного 26 апреля 1985 года в Варшаве. Текст документа сверен по: «Бюллетень международных договоров» // № 7, сентябрь 1993 года

Protocol on the Termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, signed in Warsaw on May 14, 1955, and of the Protocol on the Extension of Its Term, signed on April 26, 1985, in Warsaw Ratified by Resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation of December 23, 1992, No. 4194-I

The Protocol entered into force on February 18, 1993. The States that are Contracting Parties to the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, signed in Warsaw on May 14, 1955,

taking into account the profound changes taking place in Europe, which signify the end of confrontation and the division of the continent,

intending, in light of the new circumstances, to actively develop relations among themselves on a bilateral basis and, where there is mutual interest, on a multilateral basis,

noting the significance of the Joint Declaration of the 22 states that signed the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and declared that they are no longer adversaries and will build new relations of partnership and cooperation,

resolved to promote a gradual transition to pan-European security structures, proceeding from the agreements reached at the Paris CSCE Summit in November 1990,

have agreed on the following:

Article 1

The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, signed in Warsaw on May 14, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as the Warsaw Treaty), and the Protocol on the Extension of the Term of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, signed on April 26, 1985, in Warsaw, shall cease to be in effect on the date of entry into force of the present Protocol.

Article 2

The Parties to the present Protocol declare that they have no property claims against one another arising from the Warsaw Treaty.

Article 3

1) The present Protocol is subject to ratification.

2) The original of the Protocol and the instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Government of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. The Government of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic shall inform the other Parties to the present Protocol of the deposit of each instrument of ratification.

Article 4

The Protocol shall enter into force on the date of deposit with the depositary of the last instrument of ratification.

Done in the city of Prague on July 1, 1991, in a single copy in the Russian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, and Czech languages, all texts being equally authentic. Certified copies of the present Protocol shall be transmitted by the Government of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic to all other Parties to the present Protocol.

(Signatures)

Translation: James von Geldern