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RANSAC Nuclear News, June 3, 2003 Compiled By: Billy Magnuson A. Plutonium Disposition
 A. Plutonium Disposition 1. Starting from 2008, Russia to Switch Part of its Nuclear Power Plants to Weapons-Grade Plutonium Fuel Starting from 2008, Russia will switch part of its nuclear power facilities to a new fuel of weapons-grade plutonium, a RIA Novosti correspondent quotes Oleg Sarayev, president of the Rosenergoatom nuclear power agency, as saying on Monday. To him, weapons-grade plutonium, which was to be destroyed under the 2000 Russian-American agreements, will be in the makeup of fuel elements. Under these agreements, Sarayev specified, Russia and the United States were to have destroyed 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium each, coming from the disposal of nuclear weapons. Now the two countries have decided to process part of their weapons-grade plutonium for their electricity generating plants. "In the process of processing, plutonium will be mixed with low-enriched uranium", said Sarayev. "Seven out of Russia's 30 nuclear power-generating units will use the new fuel. Among them is the BN-600 reactor at the Beloyarskaya NPP and the VVER-1000 water-cooled reactors at some other facilities in Russia," he said. Return to Menu B. Plutonium Production Reactor Shutdown 1. Nuclear Freeze - With U.S. assistance, Russia will close its last plutonium production reactors Russian and U.S. officials announced last week a historic nonproliferation agreement to close the last three Russian reactors that produce weapons-grade plutonium. Under the agreement, $466 million will be provided for new coal-fired power plants to replace the 650 MW of electricity generated by the three reactors, the Department of Energy says. The shutdown will not occur until the new plants are on-line, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham notes, since electricity and steam from the reactors are critical to the Siberian nuclear cities of Seversk and Zheleznogorsk, where the reactors are located. Congress has appropriated $100 million for the project, DOE officials say, adding that full funding will depend on the international community or greater congressional appropriation. DOE has selected Washington Group International and Raytheon Technical Services to manage the project. The U.S. companies are to pass construction funds to Rosatomstroi, a Russian contracting firm, which will hire workers and supervise the actual work. The U.S. firms will oversee construction of the fossil-fuel plants; Russia takes charge of decommissioning the reactors. The three reactors produce enough plutonium to make a bomb every day and a half, says Abraham, who was joined in the announcement by Russian Ambassador Yuri Ushakov. Because of construction time, the actual reactor shutdowns will not occur until 2008 for Seversk and 2011 for Zheleznogorsk. Consequently, they will generate about 13 metric tons of plutonium before being closed, DOE says. Abraham adds that the old reactors are also a safety threat, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will implement $21 million in immediate safety upgrades for the reactors. Return to Menu C. Multilateral Threat Reduction 1. Arktika nuclear icebreaker now unauthorized access protected One more nuclear icebreaker supervised and operated by Murmansk Shipping Company has been equipped with an authorized access physical protection system. This is reportedly by Regnum news agency the second icebreaker generation pioneer Arktika nuclear powered ship. Earlier such systems were installed on the nuclear icebreaker Soviet Union, nuclear lighter ship Sevmorput, and technical support ship Imandra, which contains irradiated nuclear fuel. The installation work is executed under the Russian Federation governmental Decree of March 7, 1997 �On Approval of Physical Protection Regulations for Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, Nuclear Installations, and Nuclear Material Storage Facilities� and intergovernmental agreements of Russia with Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and, previously, with the United States. The work to equip Arktika with the physical protection system has been carried out since December 2002 by general contractor the specialized enterprise JSC Eskort-Center with the ship crew adjusting the standard protection system to the ship�s conditions. The system is vibration and noise-proof and possess the necessary degree of operating reliability. The crew was getting assistance from experts of the Swedish Nuclear Safety Inspectorate, Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, and the UK Department of Trade and Industry. After Arktika work is completed the similar physical protection system is to be installed expectedly by September 10, 2003 on the Yamal nuclear icebreaker. The foreign partners allocated US$ 1,6 M to equip two icebreakers. Return to Menu 2. Bush's 'No Nukes' Alliance Though the world correctly fears chemical or biological weapons in the hands of rogue states or terrorists, this threat pales in comparison to the danger posed by nuclear arms in the control of nations with uncertain intentions. The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, which experts think has one or two nuclear weapons; or Iran, which some analysts fear wants to develop them. This means Washington must work with other countries to get Iran and North Korea to scrap their atomic plans and weapons. The Bush administration, rightly criticized for its "our way or the highway" stance on international issues ranging from the environment to missile defense, understands the importance of international cooperation to stop nuclear proliferation. Administration officials say China and Russia increasingly support U.S. positions on dealing with Iran and North Korea; that's important progress. President Bush met privately Sunday with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Evian, France. Russia had long rejected U.S. claims that a reactor Moscow is helping build at the port of Bushehr boosts Tehran's nuclear ambitions. But United Nations inspectors' discovery of a separate Iranian nuclear program woke the Russians months ago. Putin said Sunday that when it comes to Iran's nuclear program � which Tehran insists is peaceful � the U.S. and Russian positions are closer than it may appear. He said Moscow understands how vital it is to stop nuclear weapons' spread. Iran says the U.S. should join the Russians to help build an Iranian nuclear reactor. In 1994, the U.S. tried a similar deal with North Korea, if Pyongyang abandoned its atomic weapons. But the discovery last October that North Korea was conducting a separate, secret nuclear program ended that pact long before the plant was built. Since then, the Bush administration has sought help, especially from China, North Korea's main ally, to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear efforts. Hu reportedly accepted Washington's refusal to negotiate only with North Korea and U.S. insistence, instead, on including China, Japan and South Korea. Though Bush's meetings proved the value of personal diplomacy, the administration now must follow up, working Beijing and Moscow hard so the world delivers a unified, forceful disarmament message. China must keep reminding desperate North Korea that it can get the aid it needs if it forgoes nuclear arms. Russia must keep telling Tehran that potential partners for invaluable trade will turn away if it keeps on its nuclear path. Return to Menu 3. G-8 Leaders Talk Tough on Spread of Nuclear Arms (excerpted) President Bush and leaders of the major industrialized countries today called nuclear proliferation "the pre-eminent threat to international security" and suggested that force could in some circumstances be used to meet the threat. At the conclusion of a meeting of the Group of 8 leading industrial democracies, the leaders urged North Korea and Iran to curb their nuclear programs, saying they would not "ignore the proliferation implications of Iran's nuclear program." The leaders said they had at their disposal a range of tools, like inspections and export controls, to deal with the threat of proliferation. In a clear reference to force, they added that they could employ, "if necessary, other means in accordance with international law." The United States has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the cover of its civilian nuclear program, and there has been speculation that it could become the next target of the Bush administration. But today, according to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Mr. Bush said he had no intention of attacking Iran. "Bush made a clear statement that the idea of an armed operation by American forces in Iran is completely without foundation," Mr. Berlusconi said. He did not say whether Mr. Bush had addressed the use of force against North Korea. In the past, the White House has insisted that the North Korea issue will be resolved diplomatically. The leaders called on North Korea "to visibly, verifiably and irreversibly dismantle any nuclear weapons programs." Mr. Bush left the summit meeting this afternoon, but not before telling his fellow leaders that he expected the American economy to achieve growth of 2.9 percent in the second half of this year, according to Alfred Tacke, a senior aide to Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der of Germany. The meeting provided the first opportunity for the deep trans-Atlantic rifts caused by the Iraq war to be addressed in person by the leaders involved. The summit leaders' statement avoided any reference to Iraq. Mr. Bush and President Jacques Chirac of France had a cheerful photo session on a terrace overlooking Lake Geneva before a 25-minute private meeting, their first since the Iraq war divided them. "We can have disagreements," Mr. Bush said, "but it doesn't mean we have to be disagreeable to each other." Mr. Bush, who had implicitly reprimanded the French as recently as the weekend for the divisions in the Atlantic alliance, seemed to go out of his way to flatter Mr. Chirac. He was particularly solicitous of his advice on the peace talks that the American president will hold with Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab leaders in Egypt and Jordan this week. "I'm going to meet with Jacques here in a little bit and ask his advice on the Middle East," Mr. Bush said. "He's a man who knows a lot about the Middle East, he has got good judgment about the Middle East, and we will spend some time discussing that." Mr. Chirac later said it was "possible and probable" that he would travel to the United States before the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in the fall, and that he would then meet Mr. Bush again. Turning to the world economy, the leaders said the conditions were in place for a revival of economic growth. But they continued to differ on the best means to accelerate the process, with Mr. Bush stressing the value of his new $350 billion of federal tax cuts as an effective remedy, while leaders from Europe and Japan stressed the long-term changes to the structure of their economies now under way. Mr. Tacke said Mr. Bush had "confirmed that a policy of a strong dollar remains." The president's recent remarks in support of a strong dollar have caused it to stem a months-long slide against the euro. Mr. Chirac, at a news conference, cited the dissipation of uncertainties following the conclusion of the Iraq war, stable oil prices and low interest rates as among the grounds given by the leaders for their optimism. Clearly, though, the focus of the meetings was on nuclear weapons proliferation, against the backdrop of the continuing efforts to thwart international terrorism. A senior Bush administration official said the tough language on Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programs was made possible by support from France, Germany and Russia, the nations that had been less than supportive on the war in Iraq. "What's key is that the only two countries named are North Korea and Iran and that the language is very strong," the official said, adding that it was the Russians who suggested that the communiqu� declare that North Korean behavior was undermining agreements curbing nuclear arms. The statement on Iran, the official said, clears the way for the International Atomic Energy Agency to deal with Iran on June 16. "Iran's going to be on the griddle," the official said. "This statement confirms it." Iran's president, Mohammed Khatami, responding to the growing world attention to his country's nuclear program, said today in Tehran that the Islamic republic had no plans to develop nuclear weapons. He noted that Iran was one of the first nations in the Middle East to propose that the region become a zone free of nuclear weapons. "All of Iran's nuclear activity is under the inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and we have no intention of obtaining nuclear arms," Mr. Khatami said at a diplomatic reception. "Don't use this as a pretext to pressure and threaten Iran." A senior administration official in �vian, asked whether Mr. Bush had told the leaders that the United States would not invade Iran, as Mr. Berlusconi said, replied: "I actually don't recall that conversation per se. Iran was talked about in the context of proliferation. He may have said, as I recall, something that that kind of speculation was not warranted." [�] Return to Menu 4. Russia to Allocate $2 Bln to Eliminate Weapons of Mass Destruction Russia will allocate at least $2 billion within 10 years for a programme of eliminating weapons of mass destruction, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalists on Tuesday. The programme was adopted at the previous G-8 summit in Kananaskis, he said. This year, at the summit in Evian, the G-8 leaders analyzed the progress of its fulfilment. G-8 adopted serious decisions related to non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Russian leader said. "This is especially topical in connection with attempts of terrorist organizations to gain access to weapons of mass destruction," Putin emphasized. "We should not forget that non-proliferation regimes play a key-part in ensuring regional stability," he said. "Main efforts aim at strengthening legal regimes and mechanisms of their fulfilment," the Russian president believes. Russia has created a special mechanism to coordinate the work on the programme of global partnership headed by the Russian Prime Minister. The international legal basis has also been formed and includes the Agreement on multilateral nuclear-ecological programme of the Russian Federation and a number of bilateral agreements, Putin pointed out. Russia welcomes "our partners' statements on a possibility to allocate funds for projects envisaged by the Kananaskis agreements," he said. "We believe that these statements should be substantiated by practical action, first of all by a quick coordination of projects in priority directions of global partnership, elimination of chemical weapons, utilization of outdated and scrapped nuclear submarines," the Russian President announced. Return to Menu D. Russia-Iran 1. Minister: launch of reactor in Iran to be delayed A Russian-built nuclear reactor in Iran will come on line later than planned and Russia won't provide any fuel until it signs an agreement with Iran for returning the spent fuel, the Russian Atomic Ministry said Tuesday. Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev said that the nuclear reactor in Bushehr in southern Iran is now set to be launched in 2005 and not next year as originally planned, the Interfax news agency reported. Rumyantsev explained the delay by the need to replace some of the equipment initially provided by Germany's Siemens company before it abandoned the project after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. "Russian experts have determined that much of the German equipment was unfit for use and had to be replaced with the Russian analogues," Rumyantsev said, according to Interfax. However, Iranian officials have said they expected the Bushehr reactor to come on line later this year, and Rumyantsev's statement could indicate that Moscow was heeding U.S. appeals to slow down the contract until Iran proves it isn't covertly building nuclear weapons. Rumyantsev said that his ministry was working together with the Ministry for Environment Protection on details of how Iran will return the spent fuel from Bushehr, but didn't say when the documents would be finalized. He said it would take at least 10 years from now for Iran to have any spent fuel to ship back to Russia. Nuclear Power Ministry's spokesman Nikolai Shingaryov said Tuesday that Russia wouldn't supply any fuel for Bushehr until the agreement on its return is signed. Shingaryov told The Associated Press that Iran was ready to sign the document and the delay in signing was purely technical and was explained by the need to coordinate with Russian government agencies. Iran's nuclear program has been one of the major sources of tension in U.S.-Russian relations since 1995 when Moscow signed the US$800 million Bushehr contract with Tehran. Russian officials have dismissed U.S. fears that the deal could help Tehran build atomic weapons, but have recently shown signs of sharing some of Washington's concerns and urged Iran to put all its nuclear facilities under closer international scrutiny. The United States accuses Iran of building a plant in the central city of Natanz to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons production. Washington wants the International Atomic Energy Agency to declare Iran in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at its session this month. Russian President Vladimir Putin said after Sunday's summit with U.S. President George W. Bush in St. Petersburg that their positions on Iran "are much closer than they seem." Speaking Tuesday after the summit of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations and Russia in Evian, France, Putin reaffirmed that Moscow will insist that all Iranian nuclear programs be put under the IAEA's control. At the same time, Putin defended Russia's right to continue cooperation with Iran and warned against what he described as pressure resulting from an "unfair competition." Iran has insisted that its nuclear program was strictly peaceful and said last week it could accept additional IAEA controls if given access to advanced nuclear technologies. Return to Menu 2. Moscow Expects Teheran to Eliminate International Concerns About its Nuclear Program Moscow believes that Iran should remove all international concerns, including G-8 concerns, about its nuclear program during the June 16 session of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) supervisory council. This was disclosed today by a high-ranking source in the Russian delegation, as he commented on some Western mass-media reports about Russia's position on Iran. The IAEA supervisory council will, among other things, examine the Iranian issue. G-8 leaders are discussing Iran's nuclear program rather actively in Evian, the source added. RIA Novosti's interlocutor once again drew attention to the fact that peaceful Russian-Iranian nuclear cooperation completely tallied with the nuclear-weapons non-proliferation treaty. He also reminded the correspondent about Jacques Chirac's June 2 statement to the effect that peaceful Russian-Iranian cooperation in the nuclear field didn't make the President of France apprehensive. Return to Menu 3. President Putin: Iran�s Nuclear Programs Must be Controlled by IAEA All of Iran's nuclear programs must be controlled by the International Atomic Energy Agency, announced Russian President Vladimir Putin. The non-proliferation problem is one of the most acute problems of the 21st century, he told a press conference in Evian. As for Iran, he said, "we cooperate with this country as it is our neighbor, and we shall continue cooperating in the future." He stressed that Russia's cooperation with other countries would depend on "how open they are and whether they are ready to have their nuclear programs controlled by IAEA." Further on, Putin also stressed that Russia was flatly against "dragging out certain problems" that could be used in unfair competition, including that on the Iranian market Return to Menu 4. Putin Wants IAEA Checks on Iran Nuclear Program President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday Russia would continue building a nuclear power station for Iran, but insisted Tehran's nuclear program had to come under stricter international control. Putin reaffirmed his commitment to the Bushehr power plant in southern Iran -- a day after G8 states urged both Iran and North Korea to curb their nuclear programs. "We cooperate with Iran, our neighbor, and will cooperate further with Iran," Putin told a news conference at the end of the Group of Eight summit of industrialized countries. "At the same time we believe the decisive role in non- proliferation must be played by the IAEA.... We will insist that the entire Iranian program in the nuclear sphere be placed under the control of the IAEA." Putin also praised President Bush for keeping close ties to Moscow despite major differences over the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Moscow has in recent weeks responded to longstanding U.S. calls to stop helping Iran's nuclear development by agreeing to ensure Tehran's program met requirements of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Russian nuclear cooperation with any country would be "based on the extent to which their programs are open and placed under the control of the IAEA." But in an apparent reference to worries that rivals might snatch the Iranian deal from Russia, Putin said: "We are categorically opposed to bringing in any problems which could be used for unfair competition, including on the Iranian market." Russian officials have said that the $800 million Bushehr project is consistent with a civil nuclear program. They deny U.S. accusations that oil-rich Iran has no need for nuclear power and is secretly trying to acquire atomic weapons. PEACEFUL INTENTIONS A senior Russian official restated Moscow's contention that Iran was not violating any of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which it signed in 1970. But given G8 concerns, Iran must prove by an IAEA meeting this month that its program was strictly peaceful, he said. Iran has yet to sign an additional protocol to the NPT treaty which would allow U.N. inspections at short notice. Russian companies have expressed concern that oil deals they signed with Iraq while Saddam Hussein was in power may be handed to U.S. oil majors after the war that ousted the Iraqi leader. Putin said he appreciated that Bush had not moved to punish Russia for its opposition to the U.S.-led war. "The president of the United States could have behaved differently. He could have taken offence, he might not have come to St Petersburg," Putin said, referring to last week's meeting of world leaders in Russia's second city. "But President Bush chose a different tactic, a different way. He has proved to be a serious politician who wants to develop relations with Russia." Russia joined France and Germany in rejecting the use of force to pursue Washington's objective of ensuring Baghdad held no banned weapons, but has since backed a U.N. resolution allowing for long-standing sanctions on Iraq to be lifted. Return to Menu 5. Russia Needs Iran Proof or Incentives President Vladimir Putin's remarks Sunday that the Russian and U.S. positions on Iran "are closer than they seem" show that the Kremlin has become genuinely concerned with Tehran's alleged nuclear program, analysts said Monday. But Russia is unlikely to stop its nuclear power cooperation with Iran without solid proof of its nuclear weapons ambitions or U.S. incentives, they said. "The positions of Russia and the U.S. on the issue are much closer than they seem," Putin said at a news conference with U.S. President George W. Bush. "We do not need to be convinced that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction should be checked and prevented throughout the world." Putin also defended Russia's construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. "On Iran, we are against the pretext of using the nuclear program as a lever in unfair business competition against us," he said. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was quick to follow Putin's lead, and he urged Tehran on Sunday to sign an additional protocol to the Nonproliferation Treaty that would open the door to tougher inspections of its nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran is a signatory of the treaty but is only obliged to admit inspectors to nuclear sites it has declared to the IAEA, analysts said. Putin's comments represent a verbal concession to U.S. pressure and a genuine interest in preventing the emergence of a new nuclear power on Russia's frontiers, analysts said. "It seems that Moscow is concerned and may be taking a more cautious approach to its cooperation with Iran in areas that have implications for Iran's programs of WMD," said Brenda Shaffer, research director of the Caspian Studies Program at Harvard University. Ivan Safranchuk, head of the Moscow office of the Washington-based Center for Defense Information, agreed, saying the prevention of a new nuclear power close to Russia is perhaps one of the few clearly defined interests that Russia has vis-a-vis Iran. Putin's comments also were timed to react "to the fact that the U.S. is becoming increasingly articulate in its concerns over Iran," Politika head Vyacheslav Nikonov said, referring to media reports that the United States might be considering a regime change in Iran. Furthermore, the $1 billion that Bushehr means to the Russian nuclear power industry holds more attraction than the possible threat of nuclear proliferation, Nikonov and Safranchuk said. Perhaps the only way to get Russia to throw in the towel would be for the United States to tacitly offer adequate compensation behind closed doors, they said. Safranchuk added, however, that Russia might change its stance on its own if Tehran continues to refuse to sign an agreement requiring it to ship all spent fuel from Bushehr to Russia -- deliveries that would prevent it from enriching the fuel to weapons grade. Nuclear Power Minister Alexander Rumyantsev said Monday that Russia and Iran have agreed in principle to send the spent fuel to Russia and a document "is practically ready." Return to Menu 6. Russia to take spent nuke fuel from Iran Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev said Monday that all spent fuel from the Russian-built nuclear reactor in Iran would be returned to Russia for reprocessing, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency. The United States has expressed strong concerns about the nuclear power plant under construction in Bushehr, Iran, with a Russian-built reactor, saying that Iran potentially could extract plutonium for use in nuclear weapons from the reactor's spent fuel. Bringing the used fuel rods to Russia could reduce U.S. objections to the project. According to ITAR-Tass, Rumyantsev said Russia and Iran have agreed in principle about sending the spent fuel to Russia and an agreement document "is practically ready and in the pipeline." Although the Kremlin has dismissed criticism of the Bushehr project, Moscow has recently signaled that it shares U.S. concerns over Iran's nuclear program, with top Cabinet officials urging Tehran to allow closer international scrutiny of its nuclear sites. Rumyantsev last week suggested the United States could get involved in future construction at Bushehr, which eventually is to have six reactors. Return to Menu 7. Iran hails Russia's position to urge regional disarmament Iran on Monday hailed Russia's position to call for making the whole Middle East region free from nuclear weapons, stressing that the yesterday remarks by President Vladimir Putin to the effect illustrated an exact attitude. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said Iran agrees with Putin's remarks arguing that this was because the Islamic Republic had first taken the initiative to raise the issue and is still persisting on it. He termed Putin's remarks that Tehran-Moscow relations must not affect economic ties as appropriate, stressing that Iran's nuclear programs are meant for peaceful purposes. �Iran's nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, and the Russian officials have in practice testify to this," Asefi told reporters at his weekly news conference. �And President Putin's remarks fall within the same framework." Return to Menu 8. Iran reiterates refusal to allow tougher inspections Iran on Monday rejected mounting international calls for it to sign an additional protocol of the Non-Proliferation Treatythat would allow tougher inspections of its suspect nuclear program. The refusal came after Russia, which is helping the Islamic republic build its first atomic power plant in Bushehr in southern Iran, joined calls for Tehran to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to have access to suspect facilities. "If the Russians are worried, we are ready to discuss this with them," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. "The question of sanctions has to be resolved first. We will not sign any other international accord while the West does not respect its obligations outlined by the NPT, and does not help us with (peaceful) nuclear technology as the NPT obliges them to," he added. Iran, a signatory of the NPT, is currently only subject to IAEA inspections of declared sites. Return to Menu 9. Iran, IAEA for Another Nuclear Nonproliferation Protocol, Calls Russia Iran and the IAEA ought to sign an additional nuclear nonproliferation protocol, is the Russian view, Alexander Yakovenko, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, said to the Russian television. Russia was active in its time as the protocol to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty was drafted, and is sure the protocol promotes nonproliferation. That is why Russia is dynamically convincing all countries to join the protocol, Iran being no exception, pointed out the diplomat. There is no understanding between Moscow and Teheran to tie with Iran the signing of the protocol with the finish of Bushehr nuclear plant construction, Igor Ivanov, Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday. "We insist on Iran signing the protocol, and we have appealed to Iran to do so," he added. With that, Iran would make a stride to put an end to alarm round its nuclear programmes, stressed the minister. Russia will come up, as before, against fraudulent competition in the Iranian market, he said. Return to Menu 10. Russia 'halting Iran nuclear help' Russia is to stop exporting nuclear material to Iran following its refusal to sign up to an international protocol, a senior British official has said. The official said President Vladimir Putin had announced to other leaders at the G8 summit in France that his country would halt "all nuclear exports" until Iran signed up to tougher nuclear inspections. It follows a decision by the G8 leaders to issue a joint statement describing weapons of mass destruction as the "pre-eminent threat" to international security. The statement also calls on North Korea to dismantle "visibly, verifiably and irreversibly" its nuclear weapons programme. On Sunday, Russia - Iran's main partner in its nuclear power programme - added its voice to those calling on Tehran to sign an additional protocol to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. That would permit tougher international inspections, giving the Iranians a chance to prove they were not trying to produce nuclear weapons. Counter-offensive But Iran refused to agree to this. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Hamid-Reza Asefi, said Iran would not sign any new protocols until international sanctions were dropped and it was given the technology to develop atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Mr Asefi said Iran was allowed such technology under the non-proliferation treaty it had already signed. He said American contractors should help build Iran's nuclear power stations if they really were concerned about Iranian intentions - an offer immediately rejected by US officials. Iran had appeared to be confident of Russian support to finish its nuclear reactor at Bushehr - the facility at the centre of American concerns - following Mr Putin's meeting with US President George W Bush in St Petersburg. Return to Menu 11. Russia urges Iran to agree to tougher inspections Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov Sunday urged Iran to agree to tougher UN nuclear inspections to lift concerns about Tehran's alleged covert weapons program. Ivanov urged Iran to sign a protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, that would allow the tougher inspections. "We call on Iran to sign this protocol. This would be an important step towards lifting the concerns of the international community regarding Iran's nuclear program," Ivanov told a press conference in Saint Petersburg. But Ivanov stressed that the construction by Russia of a nuclear power station in Bushehr, southern Iran, was not tied to Tehran's signature of the protocol. Ivanov was speaking after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart George W. Bush at which Putin defended his country's nuclear cooperation with Iran despite US criticism. Iran has thus far resisted pressure to sign the IAEA protocol that would oblige it to allow more inspections and extensive monitoring of its nuclear sites. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said Friday that Tehran was willing to sign the additional protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treatyallowing tougher inspections, but only on the condition that "sanctions and pressure" directed at the Islamic republic are first lifted. Iran has been accused by the United States of using an atomic energy programme as a cover for illicit development of nuclear weapons, a charge it vigorously denies. The United States has also been pushing Russia to end its construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, although Moscow has so far resisted the pressure. Return to Menu 12. Russian Experts Rule Out US Direct Military Action Against Iran Russian experts say the US is unlikely to launch a direct military operation against Iraq, said leading expert on Iraq of the Oriental Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Sazhin at a press conference in RIA Novosti. Iraq "definitely has a more powerful military force than Iraq, and, first of all, more powerful and modern anti-aircraft defence means," he said. "There is little doubt of the US final military victory in Iraq, but the operation would be very long because of the inevitable guerrilla war, with much more significant casualties for the USA," Sazhin believes. This contradicts the interests of the incumbent US administration, taking into account the forthcoming elections, he said. He did not rule out a possibility that "the present euphoria after the Iraqi events may turn a fiasco for Bush in Iran, which would be equal to a political defeat." Referring to experts' opinion, Sazhin pointed out that the USA had managed "to buy" the Iraqi military-political leadership for $3.2 billion, but said that "the same variant in Iran seems hardly feasible". Most probably, the USA will stake at "political and economic pressure on Iran in order to transform the authorities in Teheran in a shape more suitable for the USA", the expert believes. Moreover, the USA has every reason to do so, he emphasised. "The current anti-Americanism in Iran is nothing more than a traditional state rhetoric. In fact, up to 70 per cent of the country's urban population would welcome the return of the USA to Iran," Sazhin underlined. Return to Menu 13. Russian Experts: Destabilisation of Situation in Iran and Around it is Practically Inevitable Destabilisation of the situation in Iran and around it is practically inevitable, a group of leading Russian Orientalists concluded at a RIA Novosti conference on Monday. At the same time, the Iraqi scenario is impossible in Iran, they believe. Experts believe that the U.S. claims to Iran with regard to its nuclear programme and accusations of supporting terrorism are not all-important. "One of the strategic reasons for the U.S. pressure on Iran is the American course on changing the situation in the Islamic world as a whole," believes Alexei Malashenko, a Senior Researcher with the Moscow Carnegie Centre scientific council. Nina Mamedova, a leading expert with the Institute of Oriental Studies, agreed with him, stressing that "Iran represents the Islamic statehood" which does not suit the U.S. "The Middle East has become the principal area of the U.S. interests under President George Bush," said Prof. Vladimir Sazhin, expert with the Institute of Oriental Studies. The experts pointed out that it is too early to speak about the readiness of Iranian society to range itself against America. "Anti-Americanism is no longer the factor uniting Iranian society, on the contrary, opinion polls suggest that the Iranians stand for decreasing the Islamic component," Mamedova said. As for Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Russian experts believe that the involvement of Russia and the IAEA in its nuclear programme is itself a guarantee of its security. According to Malashenko, the possible proliferation of nuclear technologies via non-state channels is much more dangerous in this respect. Russian experts stressed that any destabilisation of the situation in Iran caused by internal or external factors will lead to dangerous and unpredictable consequences for the entire region and Russia. Return to Menu 14. Shevardnadze denies Georgians help Iran work on nuclear arms Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has denied specialists from his country in Iran are involved in any work that might be interpreted as development of nuclear arms. Asked about whether Georgian specialists might be involved in Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear capability Shevardnadze said originally he had had such suspicion himself, because several former employees of the Sukhumi Physical Engineering Institute had moved to Iran, however, repeated checks through various channels confirmed nothing. Shevardnadze said Georgian specialists in Iran had been doing absolutely 'innocent work', which has been confirmed by Georgia and other countries concerned. About the sale of Sukhoi-25 fighter planes assembled at a plant in Tbilisi to Iran, Shevardnadze said it was an ordinary commercial transaction. "There were no such deals lately, because other customers who pay more have been found," he said. Return to Menu 15. Russian Defense Minister: 'Iraq Scenario' Unlikely in Iran Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov doesn't think it possible that 'the Iraq scenario' would repeat itself in Iran. The minister said so as he spoke to the media after the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan in Moscow Friday. When asked about Iran, Ivanov said he "doesn't believe the 'Iraq scenario' is possible there." Speaking about the US' reproachful statements concerning Russia, the minister emphasized yet again that Russia is "strictly abiding by all the existing international agreements." According to Ivanov, all the Russia-Iran cooperation in the nuclear sphere boils down to the construction of a nuclear power plant in Bushehr, which is to be completed soon. The minister underlined that Iran is "a member of all the international non-proliferation treaties and an IAEA member." Ivanov pointed out that the light-water reactor sold by Russia to Iran is absolutely analogous to the one the United States planned to sell to North Korea. According to him, "the Bushehr power plant is absolutely open to IAEA inspections." He recalled that IAEA inspectors had repeatedly visited that plant, and their conclusion was that "it was impossible to even hypothetically imagine that plant being used for weapon-related or military purposes." Return to Menu E. Russia-India 1. Russia, India Vow Cooperation Russia and India vowed to increase bilateral cooperation, including joint military exercises and space programs, on the fringes of a tricentennial celebration that has brought some 40 world leaders to this Baltic Sea port. After a dinner banquet for the foreign guests marking the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin's hometown, Putin met Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee late Friday. As the meeting began on the Silver Whisper cruise ship, Putin noted that Russia had helped India launch a rocket into space earlier this month and that the two countries were holding their first joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean. "We are working together in the most sensitive areas. I am not speaking only of economic cooperation ... but also of developing military-technical cooperation, cooperation in space," Putin said. Russia is also helping India construct two nuclear reactors for the Kudankulam plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The first reactor is due to be completed by 2007. Moscow's relations with New Delhi slackened after the 1991 Soviet collapse, but warmed later in the 1990s, as India again became a top customer for Russia's weapons industries, purchasing fighter jets, tanks and other military hardware worth billions of dollars. Vajpayee said Friday that the two countries have a "very good partnership." "Our cooperation in various spheres is going very well. Russia is our trusted friend, and we are very good friends and we have high hopes in Russia," Vajpayee said before the meeting. Vajpayee was in St. Petersburg with an 18-member delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry, as well as Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha. His weeklong European tour will also take him to the G-8 summit in Evian, France. Return to Menu 2. Russia to continue aiding Indian nuclear programs India today clarified that Russia had not put any restrictions on cooperation with New Delhi in the civilian use of nuclear energy. ''There is no restriction on cooperation in the civilian nuclear energy field,'' Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal told reporters here. He was briefing the press after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sibal said Russia had, in fact, at a meeting of the nuclear suppliers group (NSG) in South Korea earlier this month, taken the position that the NSG should not create obstacles for international cooperation in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy and take into account new realities in this field in an adequate and timely manner. The clarification came in the wake of news reports that India's space and nuclear programme may get hampered as traditional supplier Russia is wilting under pressure from the NSG to prohibit sale of nuclear material and equipment by member nations to countries that have a nuclear programme not conforming to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Return to Menu F. Nuclear Industry 1. Ukraine wants to produce nuclear fuel: Ukraine is interested to produce nuclear fuel for its NPPs together with Russia, ITAR-TASS reported This was announced by the Ukrainian fuel and energy minister, Sergey Yermilov, at the meeting of the energy industry veterans from Ukraine and Russia. �Further development of the nuclear energy should be carried out by the united efforts of Ukraine and Russia�, he said. It was stated at the meeting that 96 percent of the Ukrainian thermoelectric plants� equipment reached their operation time limit and the nuclear power plants should be taken out of operation by 2020, therefore, Ukraine can become the biggest energy importer. Return to Menu G. Official Statements 1. U.S. Actions at the G-8 Summit: Day Two Broadening the Global Partnership Against Weapons of Mass Destruction: In a significant step forward, the G-8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, which was launched at last year's Kananaskis Summit, has been broadened to non-G-8 countries, including Finland, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. The United States is the leading supporter of the Global Partnership, having pledged $10 billion over 10 years, one-half of the total G-7 commitment. Action on Nonproliferation: President Bush underscored the growing threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The G-8 Leaders issued a strong statement stressing that this "global challenge requires a multifaceted solution" and noting their determination "to tackle it individually and collectively � working together and with other partners." The Leaders' Statement addressed the challenge posed by North Korea and Iran's nuclear programs: -- The Leaders urged North Korea to "visibly, verifiably and irreversibly dismantle any nuclear weapons programs." -- G-8 Leaders said they "will not ignore the proliferation implications of Iran's advanced nuclear program." They stressed "the importance of Iran's full compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty" and offered their "strongest support to a comprehensive IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) examination of [Iran's] nuclear program." Reducing the "Dirty Bomb" Threat: With U.S. encouragement, the G-8 launched a major new initiative to improve the security of radioactive sources and prevent their use by terrorists in so-called "dirty bombs." The initiative complements International Atomic Energy Agency programs and commits the G-8 to: -- Track sources and cooperate to recover "orphan sources"; -- Improve export controls; -- Increase physical protection; -- Ensure safe disposal of spent sources; and -- Offer assistance and technical support to other countries. Return to Menu 2. Transcript of Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov Remarks at Press Conference for Russian and Foreign Media Following the International Events Dedicated to the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg (excerpted) Foreign Minister Ivanov: The last few days were filled with important international events in St. Petersburg and in Moscow. I shall try to sum up the results of all these activities, and then I shall be ready to answer all your questions. I shall begin with the latest event - the Russian-US summit. This meeting took place at a very important moment, when complicated and not simple events are occurring in the world. Both Russia and the United States, just as the entire world community, are being faced with many common threats and challenges. A question of principle for Russian-US relations in the situation where they underwent certain tests linked to the Iraq crisis was the following question: would we continue to work together or would each go his own way? It is very important that the meeting that took place between the Russian and US presidents has convincingly borne out that there is no alternative to Russian-American cooperation either from the viewpoint of the national interests of our two countries or in terms of the tasks of consolidating international peace and security. Interaction between our countries embraces a broad range of questions: apart from the strengthening of strategic stability, it is the struggle against terrorism, the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the settlement of regional conflicts, the ensuring of sustainable development, the problems of ecology and disease control, and many other questions of our time. The well-known differences over the Iraq crisis served as a cause for various kinds of speculation concerning an upcoming cooldown in Russian-US relations. Now, after the meeting of the two presidents, this matter has been put an end to. It can be said with confidence that the overall positive vector of Russian-US relations has been greatly reinforced, and the presidents expressly said so at their press conference. Of great importance is what it has been possible to do in the traditional sphere of the Russian-US dialogue, namely in the sphere of strategic stability and security. The ratification process has practically been synchronously completed in our countries of the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, which the presidents signed in Moscow last year. The Russian and US presidents today exchanged instruments of ratification and signed an appropriate protocol, and issued in this regard a weighty joint statement on the implementation of the accords for the construction of the new strategic relationship. Indeed, now that this Treaty has been given effect, our interaction in this area is reaching a qualitatively new level. It is up to the practical realization of the historic decision on a radical reduction of the nuclear arsenals. I stress, a historic decision. Russia will actively be striving to accomplish deep cuts corresponding to the security interests of our states and to the consolidation of stability and predictability in the world. Positive prospects are also evident in questions of cooperation in the field of missile defense. The US and we have quite good practical developments. The presidents have reaffirmed their intention to advance them. Of course, any cooperation on missile defense should not lead to the creation of neutralizing systems, and even less so to an arms race in new spheres, in particular, in space. [�] Question: What is the Russian side's concern over Iran's nuclear program and is Russia ready to revise its plans regarding cooperation with Teheran in the construction of the Bushehr Station? Foreign Minister Ivanov: You know that Russia stands for the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And Russian President Vladimir Putin has just said so once again. This our approach concerns all the countries, including Iran. We base our cooperation with Iran on all the international obligations, and it has been developing under the closest oversight of IAEA. In this way we shall act in the future as well. We shall oppose in the most resolute way any violation of the nonproliferation regime for weapons of mass destruction and, above all, nuclear arms. This is our principled stand, and it applies to any country, including Iran. [�] Question: Is Russia ready to make its nuclear fuel supplies to the station in Iran contingent on the signing by Iran of the protocol to the agreement on IAEA safeguards? Foreign Minister Ivanov: Russia has an understanding with the Iranian side that all of the fuel supplied to Iran will, after it has been spent, be taken back to Russia in full. So there will be no grounds for concern that it might be used for other purposes. [�] Question: Will the differences over Iran's nuclear program between Russia and the US be discussed and in what format? And will there be any changes in obtaining a Russia visa and invitations? Foreign Minister Ivanov: Regarding the question of Iran, this theme in some or other form has been constantly figuring in our dialogue with the United States as part of nonproliferation issues. You know that the US was expressing at different stages various concerns in this connection, including with regard to possible cooperation by individual Russian companies with Iran in this field. Now such concerns are fewer. At least, they were not expressed at today's meeting. This topic was discussed in the general context of the joint efforts of Russia and the US together with other countries in the interest of strengthening the nonproliferation regime and creating more serious barriers in the path of a possible spread of weapons of mass destruction, including and first of all nuclear weapons. [�] Question: Once more on Iran. Today President Putin spoke out quite resolutely against using Russian-American cooperation as a lever in commercial competition. Could you explain what he meant? And, secondly, we understood from your words that Russia is going to supply fuel to Iranian stations even if Iran fails to sign the additional protocol to the IAEA safeguards agreement. Foreign Minister Ivanov: As to the first question, the President of Russia meant the following. Sometimes we were encountering the fact that some groundless complaints were being made against Russian companies alleging their cooperation with Iran. In our opinion, this was not being done because those companies were really in violation of something, but just in order to create artificial difficulties and thus obtain advantages in the competitive struggle. We have been against such unfair competition and will continue to oppose it. As to the additional protocol, we advocate that Iran sign it. That would be an important step for removing the existing certain concerns regarding nuclear programs in Iran. Return to Menu H. Links of Interest 1. Reform and Expansion of Cooperative Threat Reduction Return to Menu 2. Putting Some Sparkle Into The Evian G-8 Summit: Cooperative Threat Reduction Return to Menu 3. What's Behind U.S. Nonproliferation Sanctions Against Norinco? Return to Menu 4. The Evian Summit: Russia's Future and the G-8 Return to Menu DISCLAIMER: Nuclear News is presented for informational purposes only. Views presented in any given article are those of the individual author or source and not of RANSAC. RANSAC takes no responsibility for the technical accuracy of information contained in any article presented in Nuclear News. RANSAC's Nuclear News is compiled two to three times weekly. To be automatically removed from our mailing list, click on the following link: Remove Me From The List If you have questions/comments/concerns, please reply to news@216.119.87.134 |
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