5/21/12 Home / Projects / WMD Expertise Redirection Project www PGS Printer Friendly Page   The Russian Nuclear Complex Conversion Consortium Update November 14, 2000 The following is the first of a series of n occasional, periodicupdates to the members of the Russian Nuclear Complex Conversion Consortiumon the major activities of the consortium. This update will also previewupcoming Consortium events and activities. Consortium Gains a Dozen Members Since its establishment in July, 2000, the Russian Nuclear Complex ConversionConsortium has recruited a dozen members, including the University of Georgia�sCenter for Trade and International Security; Westinghouse Safety ManagementSolutions; the Monterey Institute for International Studies; the MoscowInstitute of Physics and Technology, Technical Research Corporation; Technologyand Systems, Inc.; Technical Management Company; Landau Network-CentroVolta, the Princeton University Center for Energy and Environmental Studies;and the RFNC-VNIIEF Analytical Center for Nonproliferation. The newestaddition to the Consortium includes Harvard University�s Belfer Centerfor International Security. The Consortium in its first few months hasmade progress in its three focus areas: Business Development, Energy andEnvironment, and Nonproliferation. Moscow Roundtable Results In 14 New Project Proposals IPPE Center May Collaborate on Four Projects As part of its effort to expand the work of the four Russian NonproliferationCenters located in Sarov, Moscow, Snezinsk, and Obninsk, the Consortiumconvened the October 5 Briefing for the Centers on the Activities of InternationalNon-Governmental Organizations, and a Discussion of Potential Collaborationsat the Carnegie Moscow Center. This workshop was intended to develop follow-onprojects for the Centers, and resulted in 14 intriguing proposals for collaborativeprojects between the non-governmental community and the NonproliferationCenters. The proposal list has been distributed to all participants ofthe forum, and the Analytical Center for Nonproliferation at the ObninskInstitute for Physics and Power Engineering has already identified specificMaterials Protection, Control, and Accounting Program-related projectsit is willing to collaborate on. Moscow Business Training Project Launched In the Business Development sector, the Consortium has also been promotingthe capabilities of a new Business Management Training School within theMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology. The school, which began operationsin October 2000, was influenced in part by the discussions on the topicsurrounding the Transforming the Russian Weapons Complex meeting held inJune 1999. Notably, Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy (MINATOM) Directorof Atomic Industry Conversion Alexander Antonov has advanced the idea oftraining at this school for managers from the Zarechny (Penza-19) "Start"Production Association, which will cease warhead assembly/disassembly operationsin 2003. Consortium Co-sponsors International Policy Forum Meets with MINATOM�s Industry Conversion Chief Antovov At the Seventh Annual International Policy Forum on Plutonium and HEUDisposition, the Consortium organized a panel discussion on the NuclearCities Initiative and efforts to downsize the Russian weapons complex.[A report of the presentations is posted on the RANSAC web site: www.216.119.87.134]This Forum also provided an opportunity for a constructive meeting withMINATOM�s Atomic Industry Conversion Director Antonov, who was briefedon the activities of the Consortium. Antonov reported at this meeting thatunder MINATOM�s downsizing plan, up to 50,000 jobs will be eliminated inthe Russian complex by 2007, 40,000 of which are located in the closedcities. He added that while progress under the Nuclear Cities Initiativehas been slow, MINATOM is "looking to widen its efforts" and remains "excitedabout this U.S. program." MINATOM Deputy Minister Ryabev Supportive of Initiatives In a week of meetings in Moscow in October, the Consortium met withand briefed MINATOM Deputy Minister Lev Ryabev on the establishment ofthe Consortium, who has been supportive of both the U.S. and European NuclearCities Initiatives. In an October 7 letter to the European Community�sCommittee on Nonproliferation, Ryabev stressed that MINATOM will "supportthe efforts of the European Community�in the creation of positions" fornuclear experts in the closed cities. The deputy minister was also briefedon the upcoming activities of the Consortium, including the March 2001meeting in Como, Italy, on energy efficiency and environmental projectsin the closed cities. Ryabev reported that work in the energy efficiencyarea "is important" to MINATOM. Fuel Cell/Energy Efficiency Meeting Nov. 10 Focus on Possible European NCI Projects As part of its efforts in the energy and environment area, the Consortiumheld a daylong workshop, Fuel Cell, Energy Efficiency, and EnvironmentalProjects for the Russian Closed Cities in Washington, DC on Nov. 10. Thisdaylong workshop identified specific project proposals on which the newlyestablished European Nuclear Cities Initiative can collaborate with theClosed Cities. Ideas for Consortium projects were also discussed. Participantsat the meeting included representatives of the Landau Network-Centro Volta;the Department of Energy Nuclear Cities Initiative, the U.S. National Labs,and the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation. "Future of the Russia�s Weapons Complex" Meeting Set for December Next month, the Consortium will convene a meeting in Washington, DCthe week of December 18, on New Perspectives on the Future of Russia�sNuclear Weapon Complex. This meeting will include a report on the resultsof a new demographics study conducted by Consortium members at PrincetonUniversity, and the meeting will also focus on developing an integratedstrategy for the transition of Russia�s closed cities. Administration officials,National Lab experts, Congressional staff, and non-governmental organizationrepresentatives are expected to participate in this meeting. An agendafor this meeting will be circulated to the Consortium membership in thecoming weeks.

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