RUSSIAN INSTITUTES VIEWS ON U.S. – RUSSIAN PARTNERSHIP FOR NUCLEAR SECURITY

Naturally, I do not represent here all Russian institutes. A majority of institutes interested in problems under discussion are within the MINATOM system, and I think their views coincide with the approach discussed in an appropriate paper. I represent a group of Kurchatov Institute employees who professionally, for a long time, have been thinking of their attitude and views of problems that are of a concern of this audience. As everyone present here understands, prospects of the Russian - American cooperation in this area depend on political needs of our countries rather than on technical needs of specialists. Thus, while developing views and discussing prospects of the cooperation, it is impossible to do without the consideration of these political needs, as well as the economic situation. I would like to discuss some key points. It is very important that the cooperation in the area of the nuclear weapon nonproliferation between our countries is, probably, the only area in which the cooperation continued even during periods of tensions. This confirms the fact that the limitation of the number of nuclear weapon countries corresponds to fundamental and long-term interests of both Russia and the USA. The result of this cooperation was the establishment of the international regime of the nuclear weapon non-proliferation. At present the regime consists of a broad complex of political, legal, organizational, scientific and technical measures implemented both within the framework of international organizations, and at various multilateral or bilateral levels. However one should not forget that main “instruments” of the non-proliferation regime were created as early as the end of 1960s - beginning of 1970s. Ideologically and technically, these instruments reflect the political situation of that time and a corresponding level of the proliferation danger. The main concern of nuclear counties, that initiated and actively pursued the non-proliferation policy, was related to the most industrially developed countries, that had no nuclear weapons, and their capabilities to create or acquire such weapons. During that period nuclear powers were intensively building up stockpiles and improving their nuclear weapons, and only started the development of the nuclear power and civilian nuclear industry. There was practically no nuclear power in nonnuclear weapon countries.