A total of 19 Russian delegates from the State Duma, Federal Administration and nuclear experts will spend six days in Washington to discuss nuclear safety projects with U.S. Members of Congress, government agencies and private industry. At the heart of the visit is a two-day seminar of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG), whose goal it is to discuss problems with existing cooperative nuclear material management projects.
Four Members of the U.S. Congress are participating in the IGWG, others have shown their support and are meeting with delegates. The IGWG also features high-level officials from the key administration agencies involved in nuclear projects, the Departments of Defense, Energy and State as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.
Surrounding the IGWG meeting, the Russian delegates are afforded the opportunity to meet with key U.S. decision makers in the area of U.S.-Russian cooperation. Among other meetings, delegates will discuss the importance of continued nuclear cooperation with Sen. Ted Stevens, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has to approve every dollar spent by the U.S. federal discretionary budget.
The future of U.S.-Russian cooperation
The IGWG comes at a key point in U.S.-Russian relations. With the political relationship strained by various disagreements, the Clinton Administration still seems committed to cooperation on the key issue of nuclear safety and non-proliferation. One aspect of non-proliferation is proper storage of nuclear materials that could be used in weapons programs, such as spent fuel. The President’s budget request for fiscal year 2001, which was submitted to Congress this month, includes a variety of programs aimed at assisting Russia in nuclear materials safe management. The budget includes a “Nuclear Harbors Initiative” suggested at a Bellona meeting in 1999.
Congress, on the other hand, is less enthusiastic about support for Russia. Various issues are frequently mentioned for cutting funding from existing assistance programs as well as for refusing Congressional support for new proposals. Some of these issues are unrelated to nuclear issues proper, such as corruption, the War in Chechnya and other larger problems in bilateral relations. Others are directly tied to the issue of nuclear materials management, for example liability and taxation legislation in cooperative programs, access to sites where U.S.-funded work is performed and various similar problems.
Russia has just elected a new Duma, which will have to convince its U.S. congressional counterpart that it means business and is willing to work pragmatically with Washington in overcoming roadblocks to making proper use of assistance funds. Bellona USA has organized the IGWG and the associated tour of Washington in this context, affording the Russian delegates the widest possible exposure to U.S. decision-makers.
Future meetings are planned to keep a constant flow of information active between Russian and Western officials. While this meeting focuses on U.S.-Russian contacts, Bellona will attempt increasingly to bring into the IGWG forum European, Canadian and Japanese participants.
List of IGWG participants, in alphabetic order by country and organization
Russia
Vladimir Goman Deputy Minister, IGWG Chairman
Valentin Luntsevich M.P., Duma, IGWG Deputy Chairman
***
Aleksey Aleksandrov M.P., Duma
Rim Bakiyev M.P., Duma
Magomekadi Gasanov M.P., Duma
Maksim Korobov M.P., Duma
Arthur Myake M.P., Duma
***
Ashot Sarkisov MINATOM
Victor Sheremetyev Ministry of Defense
Adm. Nikolay Yurasov RF Navy
***
Gennadiy Babayants Expert, Luch Laboratory
Vladimir Brokhorov Embassy of Russia
Aleksandr Goman Adviser, Goskomsever
Vitaly Lystsov Expert, Kurchatov Institute
Boris Marchuk Embassy of Russia
Yevgeniy Nesterov Expert, Duma
Lubov Nikiforova Bellona Murmansk
Yuriy Potapov Expert, Duma
Vyacheslav Ruksha, Murmansk Shipping Company
Vitaly Shelest Adviser, Goskomsever
Aleksandr Trifonov Embassy of Russia
Michael Zlobin Embassy of Russia
Andrey Zolotkov Murmansk Shipping Company
United States
Neil Abercrombie U.S. House of Representatives
Frank Pallone U.S. House of Representatives
Mark Udall U.S. House of Representatives
Curt Weldon U.S. House of Representatives
***
Ken Baker Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of Energy
Sherri Goodman Deputy Undersecretary of Defense
Alan Hecht Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA
Carol Kessler Special Coordinator, Department of State
Randal Scott Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of Energy
***
Helen Bird Department of Energy
David Caskey Department of Energy
C.K. Chou Department of Energy
Thomas Cochran National Resources Defense Council
Raphael Della Ratta Exchange Monitor
Gene De La Torre Department of Energy
Bob Dyer Environmental Protection Agency
Bob Edson Veridian Erim International
Mark Ettesvold Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Frank Falci International Energy Consultants
Ladeene Freimuth Adviser, U.S. House of Representatives
John Gonsky Foster Wheeler Environmental
R-Adm. Andrew Granuzzo U.S. Navy
Thomas Jandl Bellona USA, Organizer
Paul Krumrine WPI
Capt. Chuck Litz Cooperative Threat Reduction
Michael McNerny Department of Defense
Paul Moskowitz Brookhaven National Laboratory
Charles Newstead Department of State
Ashot Nazarian SAIC
Chris Paine National Resources Defense Council
Randy Pearson Department of State
Bruce Pentola Department of Energy
Col. (ret.) Jim Reid Cooperative Threat Reduction
Dieter Rudolph Department of Defense
Steven G. Sawhill Fridtjof Nansen Institute
Patrick Schwab SAIC
Capt. Kenneth Trass Cooperative Threat Reduction
Gary Waxmonsky Environmental Protection Agency
Lawrence Wright SAIC
Stan Zimmerman Bellona USA
Finland
Ari Heikkinen Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland
Teemu Tanner Embassy of Finland
Japan
Shigeo Okaya Embassy of Japan
Norway
Nils Bøhmer Bellona Foundation
Carsten Carlsen Embassy of Norway
Anne-Kristin Jørgensen Fridtjof Nansen Institute
Siri Engesæth Bellona Foundation