U.& Government-hGovernment Cooperation on Nuclear Materials Protection, Control and Accounting

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is cooperating with Ruasi&the Newly Mependent States (NH), and the Baltics to help prevent the prolifkmtion of nuclear weapona through the improvement of national systems of nuclear ‘material protection, control, and accounting (MPC&A). U.S. cooperation with Russia is carried out under the DOE MPC&A Program and the Nunn-Lugar fimded Cooperative Threat Reduction program for Russia. Presidential Decision Directive (PDD)-41 designated DOE as the government agency with primtuy responsibility fix MPC&A effbrts in Rusai&the NIS, and Baltics. Cooperation is conducted in &mrdination with the Nuclear Regulatoq commission (NRC) fbr the development of a strong, independent national regulatory agency in Russia. DOE also coordinates these eilbrts with the European Commuuity and Other countries. DOE’s cooperation under the MPC&A program with Russia includes aggressive near-term activities to better secWenuclear materials thkough MPC&A system upgrades at facilities (i.e., equipmept and training). Simuhaneoualy;DOE is supporting Russia in its long-term goal of implementing upgraded MPC&A systems that can be maintained and supported from indigenous resources. Projects include the development of national regulations and laws, training of trainers, the &velopment of a computerized federal information system and other related tasks. NRC’srole in these efforts includes regulato~ development activities, such as licensing and @P=tion mgr~ ~elw~t~ ~d related mining. This paper provides an ovemiew of the activities undertaken through DOE-Russian cooperation On MPC&A and how they cumphxnent each Other.