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Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Georgy Mamedov

Meets with US Assistant Secretary of State John Wolf

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

January 21, 2002

On January 21 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Georgy Mamedov received US Assistant Secretary of State John Wolf, in Moscow for interagency Russian American consultations on the problems of the nonproliferation of WMD and their delivery means and export controls. These are the first such consultations, on which the decision was taken at the Russian-American summit in November 2000 and which will be held twice a year.

A substantive consideration, with an eye to the early achievement of practical results, of bilateral cooperation in the field of ensuring the safety of nuclear materials and disposition of weapons grade fissile materials released as a result of nuclear arms reduction took place.

The sides exchanged views on the process of the preparation for the next, 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which is beginning this year. It was noted on the Russian side that the USA's unilateral withdrawal from the ABM Treaty and refusal to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty hinder the preservation and strengthening of the international regime for nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and their delivery means.

The sides spoke up for further coordination and exchanges of national experience in the area of export controls as an important element in common efforts to strengthen the nonproliferation regimes, with the Russian side pointing out the need to solve the question of lifting the unwarranted sanctions against a number of Russian organizations and enterprises as soon as possible.

John Wolf again mentioned the US concerns about Russia's cooperation with Iran in atomic energy and their military technological cooperation. The Russian side stated its principled stand: equipment and technology exports, and the development of military-technological and technical cooperation by Russia with Iran, just as with other countries, are being accomplished in strict compliance with its international obligations and the nonproliferation and export control agreements. This cooperation does not lead to a destabilization of the regional situation and is not directed against any third countries.