Follow us on facebook
Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN
HomeMEDIA RESOURCES200529 April 2005 - NATO Parliamentarians discuss WMD security with Russian colleagues [Press Communique]
29 April 2005 - NATO Parliamentarians discuss WMD security with Russian colleagues [Press Communique]
|
Members of the Sub-Committee on Proliferation of Military Technology visited Moscow, Russia, on April 25-27. NATO parliamentarians met their colleagues from the State Duma, as well as Russian government officials, independent analysts and representatives of the scientific community. Discussions mainly dealt with the issue of dismantling and securing Russia's arsenals of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Participants agreed that this issue is of immense magnitude, and that it is urgent that the international community exert itself to the utmost to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear, chemical or biological weapons or materials. |
|
Russia's WMD complex remains vast, but its security protection mechanisms are not always adequate. Because security upgrades and conversion technologies are costly, the international assistance is crucial. Russian participants expressed Russia's appreciation of the international initiatives, such as the US Cooperative Threat Reduction and the G-8 Global Partnership, but stressed their disappointment in that the actual international assistance was far less significant than Russia expected. A number of factors, such as disputes over the access to Russian facilities or accident liability provisions, seriously hinder the cooperation. The Russian side maintains that the access issue can only be solved on the basis of reciprocity. Progress has been extremely slow in destroying chemical weapons, largely due to the differences in approach between Russian and American officials. The biological sector remains the least transparent, and cooperation in this area is very limited. Russian participants implied the only way to solve this problem would be to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention with verification instruments. NATO legislators expressed their firm belief that difficulties, some purely bureaucratic in nature, might be overcome if both sides showed genuine willingness to cooperate. Parliamentarians could contribute significantly to this process by urging their governments to remove existing obstacles. It is urgent that steps be taken to improve cooperation in chemical and biological security sectors, as well as to augment efforts to guarantee proper living standards and employment for scientists and technicians formerly employed in Soviet military facilities. The Science and Technology Committee considers the issue of security of Russian WMD complex as one of its top priorities and will continue addressing this issue in its activities. During the visit, the members of the Sub-Committee were also briefed on Russia's attitude towards the Kyoto Protocol and the climate change, as well as on Russia's achievements in the development of nanotechnology.
|
