964-(16)

II SÉRIE-A — NÚMERO 48

technical means of verification of another State Party operating in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article. This obligation does not apply to cover or concealment practices associated with normal personnel training, maintenance or operations involving conventional armaments and equipment limited by the Treaty.

Article XVI

1 — To promote the objectives and implementation of the provisions of this Treaty, the States Parties hereby establish a Joint Consultative Group.

2 — Within the framework of the Joint Consultative Group, the States Parties shall:

A) Address questions relating to compliance with or possible circumvention of the provisions of this Treaty;

B) Seek to resolve ambiguities and differences of interpretation that may become apparent in the way this Treaty is implemented;

Q Consider and, if possible, agree on measures to enhance the viability and effectiveness of this Treaty;

D) Update the lists contained in the Protocol on Existing Types, as required by article h, paragraph 2;

E) Resolve technical questions in order to seek common practices among the States Parties in the way this Treaty is implemented;

F) Work out or revise, as necessary, rules of procedure, working methods, the scale of distribution of expenses of the Joint Consultative Group and of conferences convened under this Treaty and the distribution of costs of inspections between or among States Parties;

G) Consider and work out appropriate measures to ensure that information obtained through exchanges of information among the States Parties or as a result of inspections pursuant to this Treaty is used solely for the purposes of this Treaty, taking into account the particular requirements of each State Party in respect of safeguarding information which that State Party specifies as being sensitive;

H) Consider, upon the request of any State Party, any matter that a State Party wishes to propose for examination by any conference to be convened in accordance with article XXI; such consideration shall not prejudice the right of any State Party to resort to the procedures set forth in article xxi; and

7) Consider matters of dispute arising out of the implementation of this Treaty.

3 — Each State Party shall have the right to raise before the Joint Consultative Group, and have placed on its agenda, any issue relating to this Treaty.

4 — The Joint Consultative Group shall take decisions or make recommendations by consensus. Consensus shall be understood to mean the absence of any objection by any representative of a State Party to the taking of a decision or the making of a recommendation.

5 — The Joint Consultative Group may propose amendments to this Treaty for consideration and con-

firmation in accordance with article xx. The Joint Consultative Group may also agree on improvements to the viability and effectiveness of this Treaty, consistent with its provisions. Unless such improvements relate only to minor matters of an administrative or technical nature they shall be subject to consideration and confirmation in accordance with article xx before they can take effect.

6 — Nothing in this article shall be deemed to prohibit or restrict any State Party from requesting information from or undertaking consultations with other States Parties on matters relating to this Treaty and lis implementation in channels or for other than the Joint Consultative Group.

7 — The Joint Consultative Group shall follow the procedures set forth in the Protocol on the Joint Consultative Group.

Article XVII

She States Parties shall transmit information and notifications required by this Treaty in written form. They sail use diplomatic channels or other official channels designated by them, including in particular a communications network to be established by a separate arrangement.

Article XVIII

1 — The States Parties, after signature of this Treaty, shall continue the negotiations on conventional armed forces with the same mandate and with the goal of building on this Treaty.

2 — The objective for these negotiations shall be to conclude an agreement on additional measures aimed at further strengthening security and stability in Europe, and pursuant to the mandate, including measures to limit the personnel strenght of their conventional armed forces within the area of application.

3 — The States Parties shall seek to conclude these negotiations no later than the follow-up meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to be held in Helsinki in 1992.

Article XIX

1 — This Treaty shall be of unlimited duration. It may be supplemented by a further treaty.

2 — Each State Party shall, in exercising its national sovereignty, have the right to withdraw from this Treaty if it decides that extraordinary events related to the subject matter of this Treaty have jeopardised its supreme interests. A State Party intending to withdraw shall give notice of its decision to do so to the depositary and to all other States Parties. Such notice shall be given at least 150 days prior to the intended withdrawal from this Treaty. It shall include a statement of the extraordinary events the State Party regards as having jeopardised its supreme interests.

3 — Each State Party shall, in particular, in exercising its national sovereignty, have the right to withdraw from this Treaty if another State Party increases its holdings in battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, artillery, combat aircraft or attack helicopters, as defined in article II, which are outside the scope of the limitations of this Treaty, in such proportions as to pose an obvious threat to the balance of forces within the area of application.