Skip to content

Bilateral military agreements between NATO member states and the Soviet Union on the prevention of incidents

Crisis management mechanisms in the Euro-Atlantic area

Twelve NATO Allies had signed bilateral military agreements with the Soviet Union concerning the prevention of incidents at sea outside territorial waters. These Allies are the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Greece and Turkey.

The agreements are listed below with links to the English translations, where available.

  1. Agreement Between the Government of The United States of America and the Government of The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (1972)- INCSEA: http://www.state.gov/t/isn/4791.htm 
  2. Agreement Between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelandand the Government of The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics concerning the Prevention of Incidents at Sea beyond the Territorial Sea (1986):http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/publications/E.89.V.7%20(Eng.)State%20Practice%20No.%20II.pdf, p.190

  3. Agreement Between the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics concerning the Prevention of Incidents at Sea beyond the Territorial Sea (1988) – ‘Deutsche-Sowjetischen Abkommens Über Die Verhütung Von Zwischenfällen Auf See Ausserhalb Der Hoheitsgewasser’(1988):http://www.un.org/Depts/los/doalos_publications/LOSBulletins/bulletinpdf/bulE14.pdf, p.15

  4. Agreement Between The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of the French Republic Concerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters (1989):http://www.un.org/Depts/los/doalos_publications/LOSBulletins/bulletinpdf/bulE16.pdf, p.23

  5. Agreement Between The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of the Italian Republic Concerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters (1989):http://www.un.org/Depts/los/doalos_publications/LOSBulletins/bulletinpdf/bulE16.pdf, p.35

  6. Agreement Between The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of Norway Concerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters (1989)

  7. Agreement Between the Government of Spain and the Government of The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics concerning the Prevention of Incidents at Sea beyond the Territorial Sea (1990)

  8. Agreement Between The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of the Netherlands Concerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters (1990)

  9. Agreement Between The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of Canada Concerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters (1991):http://www.un.org/Depts/los/doalos_publications/LOSBulletins/bulletinpdf/bulE18.pdf, p.25

  10. Agreement Between The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of Greece Concerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters

  11.  Agreement Between The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Government of Portugal Concerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters
  12. Agreement Between The Government of the Russsian Federation and the Government of TurkeyConcerning The Prevention of Incidents at Sea outside Territorial Waters (the document was signed in 2004, but entered into force in 2008). The text of the agreement is available in Russian here: http://www.mid.ru/foreign_policy/international_contracts/2_contract/-/storage-viewer/bilateral/page-2/46017?_storageviewer_WAR_storageviewerportlet_advancedSearch=true&_storageviewer_WAR_storageviewerportlet_sdAttr_countries_key_field=%D0%A2%D0%A3%D0%A0%D0%A6%D0%98%D0%AF&_storageviewer_WAR_storageviewerportlet_fromPage=search&_storageviewer_WAR_storageviewerportlet_andOperator=1.

 

All bilateral agreements between the Soviet Union and NATO member states were signed in the official languages of the two sides. There are unofficial translations available in English for all documents published in the Law of the Sea Journal – the links are included after the respective agreements.