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RANSAC Nuclear News, July 8, 2003 Compiled By: Billy Magnuson A. Multilateral Threat Reduction
 A. Multilateral Threat Reduction 1. U.K. To Pay US$ 56 M for Nuclear Projects in North-West Russia As Nuclear.Ru was informed by Sergei Antipov, the Deputy Minister of the R.F. for Atomic Energy, the United Kingdom is to allocate US$ 56 million for the implementation of nuclear-related projects in the North-West Russia, in particular for disposal of three nuclear submarines. He said that while commenting on the London negotiations held July 5 to finesse the intergovernmental nuclear cooperation agreement. �The United Kingdom is a G8 member to the global partnership initiative where Russia has presently two priorities: elimination of chemical weapons and disposal of nuclear submarines. We couldn�t cooperate in the latter since we hadn�t had a corresponding intergovernmental agreement�, Antipov said explaining that there is an agreement between the U.K. and the R.F. which still does not mention n-subs� disposition. The recent visit of President V. Putin to the U.K. resulted in signing the supplement to the intergovernmental agreement which provides for n-subs� disposition activities with the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) being the Russia�s Minatom�s partner. �During the negotiations we discussed specific projects the U.K. is prepared to finance�, Antipov said. According to him, the U.K has announced that it is ready to allocate US$ 750 million for Russia for ten years under the global partnership program. At this, the larger part of finance will be spent for nuclear-related projects apart from the chemical weapons-related ones (6:1 ratio). At the first stage the U.K. will allocate US$ 56 M out of the total amount. �These funds have been already appropriated and the target projects identified�, Antipov said. The first project is to deal with disposition of two Oscar n-subs (Project 949) at PA Sevmash. The second project is to dispose of one nuclear submarine at Polyarninski Shipyard under AMEC Program (the multilateral military and environmental program participated by Norway, USA and Russia the U.K. is ready to join and fund disposal of one submarine). The third project is targeted to construct a nuclear ice-breaker spent fuel storage at RTP Atomflot (Murmansk). The forth project is aimed at rehabilitation of the former RF NAVY technical support base in the Andreeva Bay (SevRAO site) which stores SNF and radwaste. The U.K. is also intends to transfer substantial finds to the multilateral environmental fund �Northern Dimension� within the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The funds are to be spent for nuclear-related environmental projects in the North-West Russia. According to Antipov, the fund-participating countries committed to transfer US$ 150 million for these purposes and that Minatom of Russia has to conclude an interagency implementing arrangement with DTI. The project has been discussed and the contracting process is to start shortly after the implementing arrangement is signed. �We hope to have it done by the end of summer to start practical work on n-sub disposition this fall�, Antipov said. Return to Menu B. Nuclear Safety 1. GAN Chief �Retired� Under Suspicious Circumstances (excerpted) Yury Vishnevsky, who has been chief of Russia�s nuclear regulatory agency Gosatomnadzor, or GAN, for 11 years, retired earlier this week amid a swirl of rumours and suspicions that the marginalized nuclear watchdog will become even more irrelevant as the Ministry of Atomic Energy swoops in to take over GAN vacancies, officials close to GAN told Bellona Web. [�] What Malyshev Has Inherited With Malyshev�s succession of Vishnevsky, much hangs in the balance, and government officials, nuclear experts and environmentalists have expressed concern in interviews this week that GAN�s new Minatom and Atomstroiproekt�bred chief may derail many important foreign and domestic nuclear safety efforts that were just gaining a foothold. The most prominent of these programmes is the 2000 US-Russian weapons-grade plutonium disposition agreement, and several important regulatory exchanges between GAN, the US National Nuclear Safety Administration, or NNSA, and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC. The programmes were just beginning to be cemented between senior Russian regulators, and were headed up by senior regulator of licensing and infrastructure Sam Thomas, from the US Department of Energy, or DOE, and Andrei Kislov, GAN�s chief of fuel cycles, or 3rd Directorate. The 2000 agreement calls for the destruction in Russia and the US of 34 surplus tonnes of weapons-grade plutonium apiece. Originally the agreement stipulated that part of the plutonium be immobilised and the other burned in specially retrofitted commercial reactors as part of mixed plutonium and uranium oxides fuel, or MOX. Both the US and Russian programmes are to proceed in parallel. Environmental groups, like Bellona, have criticised MOX as a highly dangerous and expensive method�as opposed to immobilisation. But the Bush Administration this year decided to abandon immobilisation altogether in favour of an all-MOX plutonium disposition plan, which has meant huge regulatory headaches for the perpetually snubbed GAN, because it will now have to license everything from MOX fuel production facilities to the specially revamped VVER-1000 reactors that are slated to burn it. The main agenda for Thomas and Kislov was to not only write regulatory statutes for the MOX programme, but to turn GAN, through the US-Russian exchanges, into a truly independent regulatory agency, said one anonymous Russian source connected to GAN and Minatom, who requested anonymity. But with Minatom-primed Malyshev running the regulatory agency, US and Russian nuclear experts have said the creation of such independence is highly unlikely. �This is certainly a negative development because Minatom is essentially a promotional agency,� said Edwin Lyman, senior scientist for the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists, and former president of the Nuclear Control Institute, in a telephone interview from Washington. �To remove any vestige of independence [from GAN] is a step backward.� �We are all aware that Minatom has been trying to co-opt GAN and take away its regulatory authority for a long time,� Lyman added. �GAN started with a disadvantage�their prospects for regulatory control look dim. Now [with Malyshev in charge], they look even dimmer.� [�] But over the past four years, Vishnevsky has had several public fallings-out with Minatom, and the Russian source said the Kremlin simply got tired of the international embarrassment Vishevsky was causing them. Among the most prominent scuttlebutts was his opposition to spent nuclear fuel, or SNF, imports to Russia, a plan Minatom says will net Russia $20 billion over 20 years. Later, Vishnevsky spoke out at an international nuclear conference and said that Russia had �no independent nuclear regulation.� Most recently, and perhaps most embarrassing to Minatom, he refused to renew the SNF reprocessing license for the Mayak Chemical Combine because of the facility�s repeated waste dumping into nearby water sources. When asked if the Mayak incident may have played a part in Vishnevsky�s retirement, Kislov coyly said: �I do not think that it played a decisive role � you understand.� �In time, Malyshev will have to deal with the same kinds of decisions,� Kislov added. Mayak�s reprocessing license was restored after three months, following Minatom�s newly repeated promises to look into other radioactive waste disposal methods besides dumping the waste into Lake Karachai and the flood-prone Techa reservoir system, which are located near the plant. Press reports at the time suggested the shadow of Minatom�s influence on the renewal of the license. [�] What Remains Uncertain With Malyshev at the Helm Kislov said that he was not expecting a mass purge of GAN staff. But he also said he didn�t expect that new chief Malyshev�s Minatom pedigree would bring greater cooperation between the two organisations. �I can�t say if [Minatom] will listen to us any more closely than they have before because I have no examples on which to base such comment,� he said. One of the most important things that such �examples� �and the leadership switch as a whole�could have a bearing on is the growing cooperation between GAN, and the US side�s NNSA and NRC, who have been aiding GAN in developing regulatory procedures in a programme that was forged by Kislov and the US Department of Energy�s Thomas. Kislov said in his interview with Bellona Web that �I don�t think this will have a big effect on our international cooperation,� with the NRC and NNSA. Thomas, who was on vacation all week, was unavailable for comment. The NNSA�s Director of Public Relations, Brian Wilkes, told Bellona Web in a telephone interview that �it would take a lot to affect our relationship [with Russia] on non-proliferation related issues. We have very good relations. It�s not like we�re talking about replacing a Putin or something like that.� Responsible parties at the NRC did not return repeated requests for comment. A US-Russia Liaison Structure Kislov and Thomas have pushed for the creation of a liaison position in Russia to coordinate regulatory educational seminars and exchanges among GAN, the NNSA and the NRC, which are aimed at establishing an appropriate, independent regulatory structure that would be needed for the implementation of the MOX programme, if not for Russia�s other nuclear headaches. According to one GAN source, the leading candidate for this position would be Thomas himself. But at a recent secret working meeting between the DOE and GAN officials, the liaison idea was shoved to the back burner by the Americans, according to Kislov. �We [at GAN] certainly want someone to fulfil this role, but the Americans are still discussing it,� said Kislov. �They have not refused outright, but they want time to think about it.� Kislov said that at the meeting, which took place in London, John Baker, director of the technical programme for the DOE�s plutonium disposition project, who chaired the meeting, shelved the liaison idea, and the Americans said they would consider it. But Baker, said Kislov, also ordered that the Russian request for the regulatory liaison be stricken from the record of the meeting. The Russian source with close connections to GAN and Minatom said the behaviour of the DOE�s Baker �bordered on document tampering.� Baker was not available for comment. �There are people in Minatom who would gladly flush the MOX programme,� the Russian source said, �and not everyone in the DOE [because of the stringent licensing regulations MOX production would require] wants to see GAN as an independent regulatory structure.� Lyman, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in an interview from Washington that the MOX programme �is putting enormous strain on independent [nuclear regulatory] agencies to produce regulations quickly� that are thus substandard for their intended purposes. He added, though, that the kind of cooperation taking place between the NRC, the NNSA and GAN �is the kind of cooperation that should be going on anyway,� independent of the MOX programme. According to ex-GAN official Kuznetsov, GAN �will now simply be a satellite of Minatom.� He also predicted that Minatom would seize all significant licensing and regulatory responsibilities from GAN and that �atomic enterprises will control [GAN�s] structure from within the ministry�that is, we will return to such circumstances as existed within Minsredmash [as Minatom was called in the Soviet era] prior to the Chernobyl catastrophe.� �Now that GAN has officially ceased to be independent, the last control over the nuclear industry is NGOs,� he said. �It is precisely these organisations working in Russia that are the only means of avoiding a second Chernobyl.� Return to Menu C. Missile Defense 1. Status Report Requested of RAMOS Program The stalled Russian-American Observation Satellite (RAMOS) program has once again caught the attention of Congress. In the latest debate of the FY 04 defense bill, House appropriators worried about Russia�s commitment to the program and requested a status report. Under the most recent restructuring of the RAMOS program, Russia would be responsible for building, launching, and operating two satellites which would carry U.S.-built infrared sensors. A memorandum of understanding between the two countries is supposed to be signed so that the program can move forward, but both sides have been dithering about it for well over a year, citing concerns about the other�s commitment. RAMOS has been held up by Missile Defense Agency head Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish as the most realistic short-term way of cooperating with Russia on missile defense-related activities. Return to Menu D. Russian Nuclear Forces 1. Russia and France Conduct Joint Military Exercises in Norwegian Sea Russia and France began joint military exercises Monday in the Norwegian Sea, the press service of Russia's Northern Fleet informed reporters. Taking part in the exercises are the French destroyer Latouche Treville and the nuclear submarine Casablanca. The Northern Fleet is represented by a big anti-submarine ship, Admiral Chabonenko, and a multi-purpose nuclear submarine. Interaction, joint manoeuvring and joint navigation will be practised during the exercises in the Norwegian Sea and on the way of the ships to the port of Severomorsk. It was planned that the French vessels would call at Severomorsk on Friday, July 11. The visit of the French naval ships to the Northern Fleet will last about five days. Return to Menu 2. Russia, France hold joint naval exercises in Sea of Norway France and Russia launched joint naval exercises off the coast of Norway Monday involving nuclear submarines for the first time in the history of NATO-Russia cooperation, navy officials said. "For the first time, nuclear submarines are participating in joint maneouvres between Russia and a NATO country," a Northern Fleet officer told AFP, adding that the exercises would end Thursday. The Russian naval official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the crews of a Russian submarine and a French submarine would test special equipment that aims to prevent collisions between underwater craft. The French and Russian navies each deployed a nuclear submarine in the Norwegian Sea. The French navy also deployed the Latouche Treville frigate and the Russian navy an anti-submarine warship, the Admiral Chabanenko. The manoeuvres will test joint defences against submarine and aerial attack and navigation safety. According to the Russian navy, between 1968 and 1993, there were more than 20 collisions of Soviet or Russian submarines with foreign underwater craft, mainly US and British. Return to Menu 3. Russian, French Submarines to Conduct Joint War Games in Norwegian Sea Russian and French submarines will streamline their interaction during a really unique exercise July 7-11 in the Norwegian Sea. According to the General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces, France is the only NATO country, which has agreed to streamline underwater submarine-interaction aspects. This exercise calls for establishing communications between Russian and French submarines, which will also identify each other underwater. One Russian warship and one French warship will also take part in the exercise. The French navy will be represented by the Latouche-Treville frigate and the Casablanca nuclear-powered submarine, reports the French Defense Ministry. This exercise is conducted in line with a bilateral-interaction plan, which was passed in 2002. Return to Menu 4. Russia Resumes Strategic Sub Patrols After Year Off Russia has resumed strategic missile submarine patrols after last year failing to send a single such sub out of port for the first time in more than 35 years, according to the Office of Naval Intelligence. "Although the trend in Russian strategic submarine patrols has been downward for a number of years, the Russian Navy has resumed patrols in 2003," a Navy intelligence official said. Asked how many had taken place so far this year, a Navy spokesman said: "It is a very small number." The U.S. Navy traditionally keeps track of Russian strategic submarine activity by following the vessels, primarily with attack submarines. At the height of the Cold War, several Soviet missile subs cruised off Bermuda, prepared to launch nuclear-tipped missiles that could hit the United States in minutes. Such patrols by Russian Delta and Typhoon subs with longer-range missiles dropped from 37 in 1991, most of them in the Atlantic and Pacific, to 19 in 1993. By 2001, there was just one patrol in the Bering Sea, probably influenced by the August 2000 sinking of Russia's nuclear-powered submarine Kursk. The U.S. Navy carries out about 50 patrols a year by its fleet of 18 Trident strategic ballistic missile submarines. Each patrol lasts several months and is carried out in the Atlantic or the Pacific. "Traditionally, the Russians would have several [strategic submarines] leave port and cruise the Bering Sea as a precaution against a surprise attack," said Hans M. Kristensen, a consultant with the Natural Resources Defense Council, a think tank that specializes in nuclear affairs. Kristensen has made a study of strategic nuclear weapons activities of the major powers. "The fact that it has gradually declined, rather than stopped suddenly or leveled out at a certain level, suggests to me that they have simply run out of resources and decided to prioritize them elsewhere," Kristensen said. "They may have concluded that keeping the subs in port and only doing brief training voyages near the coast is sufficient for now." Noting that the U.S. submarine patrol level has remained constant, Kristensen said, "It is a dramatic turn that one of the superpowers is leaving the strategic submarine field and deciding their national security position has not suffered." The Office of Naval Intelligence officer said that "patrol trends are one of the many factors used to evaluate Russian strategic naval capabilities." Bruce G. Blair, president of the Center for Defense Information, an organization that studies defense policy, said that the United States has rhetorically downgraded the threat of a nuclear first strike by the Russians but, unlike them, "we have not changed our strategy." He said the Navy patrols are being maintained "at Cold War levels. . . . We are still Pearl Harbor-oriented, surmise a surprise attack and need survivable nuclear submarines." Blair said the United States keeps two Trident subs, each of which carries 24 long-range missiles with five or more warheads, on alert patrol in the Atlantic and another two on alert in the Pacific. All four are positioned to launch missiles with flight times of about 15 minutes to the Russian mainland; the two in the Pacific are able to reach China in a similar time frame, Blair said. Normally, two other Tridents are in transit to or from their home base. Kristensen said he attended a recent Navy presentation where a Trident sub commander said that while not on alert he was ordered to practice launching his torpedoes against targets in hypothetical enemy ports. "They seem to be filling in their non-alert time with other tasks," he said. "They are boats in search of a mission." China has spent almost a decade working on a strategic missile submarine and "can barely get their one strategic class submarine out of port," Blair said. Saying the Chinese have had trouble with reliability, Blair added that Beijing is working on a new strategic sub that is not expected to be launched before 2005. Return to Menu E. U.S.-Russia 1. Russia eyes Asian economies - (Excerpts of interview with President Vladimir Putin) [...] Q: What role do you envisage for Russia in the current global fight against terrorism, the conflict and instability in the Middle East and to avoid a possible "clash of civilisations"? Putin: I believe that the slogan "clash of civilisations" is a dangerous one. We are human beings and only after that are we of different religions, congregations, races, etc. If we look around at every one of us, there is more that unites us than divides us. So the implementation of our foreign and domestic policy should be based on human values. Of course, there are people who do not want to admit that and use reasons like religion for their own political goals. We should devise special means for uniting the efforts of the international community. But it will be very difficult to do so efficiently if we do not realise the roots of this very dangerous phenomenon of today � I mean terrorism. What is the fertile ground for terrorism? It is poverty. Inequality of the different sections of the population and of the different states. It is the unsettled conflicts, in which the conflicting parties cannot make the necessary compromises. We should combat the manifesta-tions of terrorism, terrorists them-selves and terrorist organisations. And as far as I know, the Malaysian leader-ship places particular emphasis on this. If we don't simply want to scratch the surface (of the problem) we should tackle the roots of terrorism. Q: You took a very strong stand against the invasion of Iraq recently. Following from that, is Russia prepared to play a role to ensure that unilateralism does not become a standard practice in future? Putin: If unilateralism becomes the norm of international life it will lead to chaos and catastrophe. We strongly support the strengthening of international organisations in dealing with peacekeeping and upholding international law. We are satisfied with the pace of our dialogue with our partners, including the United States. We managed to reach an agreement on the recent (post-war) UN resolution on Iraq. It was adopted unanimously. And we believe that the role of the UN in settling the situation in Iraq should move to a higher level. There is a good example of collaborative work of a similar nature with the UN in Afghanistan. Q: Russia was a counterforce to the US as a superpower. In a unipolar world, what role can Moscow play to counter the dominant role of the US in almost everything today? Putin: I believe that no state should ignore the interests of its partners. We have many concurrent and similar interests with the US. Russia and the US today are the most powerful nuclear powers in the world. I would like to stress that in this particular context and in the provision of global stability, the roles of Russia and the US are important. We signed an agreement with the US on the reduction of strategic offensive weapons. We agreed to the reduction of offensive weapons (under the Moscow Treaty) to between 1,700 to 2,200. We are satisfied with the development of our relations with the US in this most important area for both of us. We have a positive relation within the framework of the anti-terrorist coalition. We are co-operating on the economic front. On many issues our dialogue is not as simple as that and we have different approaches to different problems. But as a rule we manage to hammer out mutually acceptable solutions. The only exception to this is Iraq. We need to draw conclusions from this situation; we need to step up interaction regardless of any difficulties and any challenges. In my recent meeting with George W. Bush, we confirmed that Russia and the US were ready to work in this direction. Q: You have spoken about Russia-US relations. Is there any particular area that you would like improved, enhanced and if so why? Putin: I would like to improve all areas of our co-operation. For decades we believed that we were the greatest enemies in the world. This could not but affect certain aspects of the state of affairs in our society and is still affecting certain areas of our bilateral co-operation. Over time, this heritage of the Cold War should disappear. I hope and I am convinced that it will disappear very rapidly. There are fundamental issues that unite both Russia and US. First, there are the present-day challenges of the world and the major ones are the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, the construction of a just world, including in the economic area. I believe that the rich countries as well as the poor are concerned that economic relations be just and democratic. Russia and US have many similar interests of a global nature. We hope that during the upcoming meeting with George W. Bush at Camp David we would have the opportunity to talk of these issues. [...] Return to Menu F. Russian-Iran 1. Delegation With Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Visits Russia An Iranian delegation has visited the headquarters of Russia's nuclear utility, Rosenergoatom, as well as the Russian research institute for nuclear power plant operation (VNIIAES), NucNet quoted Nuclear Society of Russia as saying. Russia says the delegation - which visited Moscow on 1st July - was led by Iranian vice-president and president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran(AEOI), Reza Aghazadeh, and included AEOI specialists, as well as members of the Iranian industry and national security parliamentary commissions. During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the status of Russia's electric power industry, and on a specialized nuclear plant operational support centre. Russia says that VNIIAES also gave a presentation of a "full-scale simulator" used to train nuclear plant operators. Return to Menu 2. Moscow Welcomes IAEA Secretary-General's Visit to Iran Moscow welcomes the visit by Secretary-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed El-Baradei to Iran and hopes that the forthcoming talks would ease tensions on the Iranian nuclear programme, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told journalists following the 2nd meeting of the Russian-French Security Co-operation Council at the level of defence and foreign ministers. "We approach the Iranian nuclear programme from common positions on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," he noted. "Moscow comes out for Iran's co-operation with the IAEA, including via signing of the IAEA additional protocol," Ivanov added. "The sooner tensions are eased, the more possibilities for co-operation with Iran in all spheres, including the peaceful nuclear programme, will appear," the minister said. "Russia and France have common viewpoints on this issue and we shall co-ordinate our actions," Igor Ivanov concluded. Return to Menu 3. Russia, France Urge Iran to Sign Nuclear Protocol in Immediate Future Russia and France on Tuesday urged Iran to sign an additional protocol on the development of its nuclear program as soon as possible, hoping the forthcoming visit of the top U.N. nuclear monitor to Tehran will pave the way for greater confidence and closer cooperation with Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said talks this week between Iran and Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, could dispel fears about Iran's nuclear aspirations. "The sooner these anxieties are dispelled, the greater the possible cooperation with Iran, including in the sphere of its peaceful nuclear program," Ivanov said after a session of the Russia-France Security Council in Moscow. Russia has put increasing pressure on Iran to sign an additional IAEA protocol which guarantees certain conditions in the development of its nuclear program. French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said France and Russia's positions on Iran coincide and he expressed hope that "concrete measures" would be taken after ElBaradei's visit to Tehran, in particular the signing of the protocol. Russia is helping Iran construct a 1,000-megawatt, light-water reactor nuclear plant in the southern port city of Bushehr. Iran insists the plant is solely for generating electricity, but the United States has expressed fears that it could be used to develop nuclear weapons. Return to Menu 4. US Threats Pose No Obstacle to Iran-Russia Historical Ties Russian Ambassador to Tehran Alexander Maryasev in a meeting with Isfahan province Governor-General Seyed Mahmoud Hosseini here on Sunday, said that political events and US threats cannot affect the historical ties between Iran and Russia. A report released by Isfahan province governor-general's office quoting Maryasev said that joint nuclear cooperation between the two states is quite transparent and is supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). "We are determined to continue working on Iran's nuclear program to finalize it," said the Russian diplomat. In the meeting, Hosseini noted that the current sensitivities towards nuclear cooperation between Iran and Russia, which are observed worldwide, especially by the US, should not disrupt the ancient bilateral relations. He also underlined the need to broaden Iran-Russia cultural and historical cooperation. "The activity of Russian consulate in Isfahan plays a decisive role in expansion of mutual cooperation between Russia and Isfahan province," he added. Referring to the industrial position of the province, he declared Isfahan's readiness for joint cooperation with Russia in scientific and industrial fields. Return to Menu 5. Ecological Examination of Russia-Iran Nuclear Fuel Agreement to Be Over Soon The ecological examination of an agreement to be signed between the Russian and Iranian governments will be completed before July 10, 2003. The agreement envisages the return of depleted nuclear fuel from Iran to Russia. The examination is done by a commission of experts including ecologists from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the State Duma's committee on ecology and the Russian Academy of Sciences, the press service of the Ministry told RBC. As reported earlier, depleted nuclear fuel will be supplied from a nuclear power plant in Bushehr. The construction of the plant is expected to be over at the beginning of 2005. Return to Menu 6. Putin Offers Assurances to Bush on Denying Nuclear Technology to Iran Russian President Vladimir Putin volunteered fresh assurances about Iran's nuclear program during a telephone conversation with President George W. Bush, a senior U.S. official said Thursday. The official said Putin told Bush he was very concerned about Iran's program and that Russia would not provide fuel for the Iranian reactor until Russian officials were certain Iran was not developing nuclear weapons. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Putin's assurances contributed to a growing notion within the Bush administration that Russia was ready to help in stemming the spread of nuclear technology. Russia is helping build a 1,000-megawatt, light-water reactor in the Iranian southern port city of Bushehr, reportedly worth US$800 million. It has rejected U.S. concerns, saying Russia was simply doing what the United States had done in helping North Korea with a civilian program. Putin promised last month that Russia would insist that all Iranian nuclear programs be put under control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The head of the agency, Mohamed El Baradei, is due in Tehran next week to ask Iran to accept a new protocol that would give the agency more powers to inspect Iran's nuclear activities. He also is expected to urge Iran to permit monitors to take environmental samples at a location where it has allegedly enriched uranium - a possible step in producing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, representatives of the United States and 10 other nations will meet in Brisbane, Australia, next Wednesday and Thursday to consider ways to keep weapons of mass destruction and weapons technology from reaching Iran. Among the measures due for discussion is intercepting shipments at sea. But that raises legal and other questions that must be hammered out. Undersecretary of State John Bolton will head the U.S. delegation, which will include Pentagon and U.S. intelligence officials. "We are going to be talking about a variety of issues to make the concept operational," Bolton said. Bush warned Iran last week to keep a promise not to develop nuclear weapons. There was no indication, though, that the administration was considering the use of force against Iran. Even if it considered taking military action, Britain and many other nations have indicated they would not go along with the United States. Return to Menu 7. Putin Assures Bush on Iran Nuke Program Vladimir Putin had more than pleasant birthday greetings to extend to President Bush when they talked on the telephone Wednesday. The Russian leader volunteered fresh assurances about Iran's nuclear program. According to a senior U.S. official, Putin told Bush he was very concerned about Iran's program and that Russia would not provide fuel for the Iranian reactor until Russian officials were certain Iran was not developing nuclear weapons. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Putin's assurances contributed to a growing notion within the Bush administration that Russia was ready to help in stemming the spread of nuclear technology. In the past, Russia has shipped questionable technology to Iran and brushed aside U.S. concerns, saying Russia was simply doing what the United States had done in helping North Korea with a civilian program. Putin promised last month that Russia would insist that all Iranian nuclear programs be put under control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The head of the agency, Mohamed El Baradei, is due in Tehran next week to ask Iran to accept a new protocol that would give the agency more powers to inspect Iran's nuclear activities. He also is expected to urge Iran to permit monitors to take environmental samples at a location where it has allegedly enriched uranium - a possible step in producing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, representatives of the United States and 10 other nations will meet in Brisbane, Australia, next Wednesday and Thursday to consider ways to keep weapons of mass destruction and weapons technology from reaching Iran. Among the measures due for discussion is intercepting shipments at sea. But that raises legal and other questions that must be hammered out. Undersecretary of State John Bolton will head the U.S. delegation, which will include Pentagon and U.S. intelligence officials. "We are going to be talking about a variety of issues to make the concept operational," Bolton said. Bush warned Iran last week to keep a promise not to develop nuclear weapons. If the Iranians renege, he said, the United States will deal with that at that time. There was no indication, though, that the administration was considering the use of force against Iran. And even if it considered taking military action, Britain and many other nations have indicated they would not go along with the United States. Putin also wished Bush a happy birthday during their conversation. The president's birthday is Saturday. Return to Menu G. Russia-North Korea 1. China, Russia Oppose U.S.-Proposed U.N. Statement on N. Korea China and Russia on Wednesday reiterated their opposition to a U.S. proposal to issue a U.N. Security Council statement denouncing North Korea's nuclear arms program, diplomatic sources said. The U.S. proposal was taken up at an informal meeting of the five Security Council permanent members. Diplomatic sources said the U.S. argued for the necessity to adopt a Security Council statement on North Korea and the meeting broke up without an agreement because of dissent from China and Russia. The so-called P-5 countries, which also discussed the North Korean nuclear problem on June 23, agreed to continue their discussions on the issue, the sources said. A U.S. diplomatic source said the contents of Wednesday's discussions have been sent to Washington and U.S. officials are awaiting further instructions from Washington. The closed-door meeting was chaired by China, which currently holds the rotating Security Council presidency. The five took up the North Korean issue while discussing the Security Council agenda for July, diplomatic sources said. A preliminary Security Council agenda for July released Wednesday contains no reference to the North Korean nuclear issue. Return to Menu H. Official Statements 1. Opening speech at a Meeting with Members of the Council for Cooperation on Security Issues (Russia-France) (excerpted) [�] The structure, within which you are working today, is, of course, very important and it also serves as additional proof of the qualitative changes in our relations. This structure was set up on the initiative of the French president and we attach great significance to this mechanism. However, this is only a reflection of the changes in our relations. The most important thing here is that the level of trust between our two countries has increased. This has come about because our views on a whole range of issues, not only confined to the bilateral agenda, but also international relations, virtually coincide. And the main point is our common approaches to the future of global security, our adherence to the norms of international law and the key role of the United Nations. As an element of trust, we shall soon hold small-scale, but entirely significant naval exercises in the Sea of Norway. This is the first time that our Armed Forces will have such an experience, as we have not conducted anything similar, especially with the use of our submarine fleet, with a NATO member-nation. I think that this is very important. This is the first step, the first practical step, towards building a global security system based on the principle of a multi-polar world. [�] Return to Menu 2. On the Course of the Implementation of the Global Partnership Agreement Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction A regular meeting of Group of Eight senior officials was held in Paris at the end of June to discuss the progress in carrying out the Global Partnership agreement against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction, reached at the G8 summit in June 2002 at Kananaskis, Canada. France as the G8 Chairman this year is carrying out the coordination of these talks. The present meeting is the first since the June G8 summit in Evian, France. In this connection the main attention during the discussion was paid to ways for implementing the Action Plan, approved at the summit. The signing of the bilateral additional Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in the course of the recent visit of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to Britain, and the conclusion of the Agreement on the Multilateral Nuclear Environmental Program in the Russian Federation (the MNEPR Agreement), the implementation agreement with Japan and the contracts with Norway on the disposition of decommissioned nuclear submarines - all these recent events were noted as a success of the Global Partnership. Nevertheless it was emphasized that a lot still had to be done for the complete realization of the tasks set in Kananaskis and Evian. As before, the criterion for the success of the Global Partnership we believe is the successful implementation of existing and launching of new projects in the priority areas of cooperation. For Russia it is the destruction of chemical weapons and disposition of nuclear submarines. The meeting also examined measures of a legal and organizational-technical character which all the participants need to take to enhance the effectiveness of foreign assistance in carrying out disarmament and nonproliferation programs in Russia. The efforts by the Russian side for fulfilling the obligations assumed in Kananaskis received a positive assessment. This primarily concerns the decision on the full exemption from taxation assistance program-related works under the MNEPR Agreement. A discussion was continued on the question of broadening the range of participants in the Global Partnership programs. Taking into account the tasks at this stage, the necessity was underscored of enlisting new donor states. Return to Menu 3. Second Session of the Franco-Russian Cooperation Council on Security Issues (CCQS) (excerpted) The foreign minister will go to Moscow on July 8 for the second session of the Franco-Russian cooperation council on security issues (CCQS). This bilateral forum was set up by the presidents of the Russian Federation and the French Republic in January 2002 when they met in Paris. The purpose is to strengthen the strategic dialogue between France and Russia by having twice-yearly meetings of the foreign and defense ministers of both countries. The inaugural session was held last November 15 in Paris. The ministers will focus on military cooperation, especially the industrial aspects which include the proposal for a fifth-generation fighter jet, European security and the place Russian must have in it, nonproliferation, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking as well as the situation in the Middle East, Iraq and the Balkans. Return to Menu I. Links of Interest 1. S. Ryzhov: �We Don�t Need Reactor Vessel Head Replacement Program as Western Plants Do� 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. 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