PRESS-RELEASE. October 8.

The Moscow Carnegie center and the PIR Center held international nonproliferation conference.

Moscow, 2000, October 7. The International Nonproliferation Conference, which united 205 participants from 24 states, finished its work in Moscow. For the first time, Russia held an authoritative forum, where NGOs and governmental bodies managed to discuss such topical issues as nuclear safety and security, missile proliferation, strategic nuclear arms reduction, elimination of chemical and biological weapons, policy and practice of export controls and prospects for coordination of international efforts to strengthen nuclear nonproliferation.

"Russia is ready to offer the world community its inventions in the area of naturally safe nuclear fuel cycle, which will technologically enhance nuclear nonproliferation regime", said Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeny Adamov in his conference address. "Combination of global experience in analyzing and improving the proposed technical solutions will give a powerful impetus to broad development of nuclear energy sector in the 21st century."

Delegates of the conferences paid much attention to the statement by Nikolai Uspensky, Head of the Department of International Cooperation of the RF Security Council Staff. He reaffirmed Russia's commitment to WMD nonproliferation values and emphasized the importance of tightening global and national export controls.

Heated debate was caused by reports of representatives of proliferation-sensitive states, i.e. Israel, India, Iran and Pakistan. According to Cuban Academician Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, the goals of nonproliferation "cannot be achieved by means of export control over supplies of nuclear material, technology and equipment or by agreements committing states not to acquire or manufacture nuclear weapons. It is necessary to ensure persistent endeavors in the area of nuclear disarmament and to take measures to provide for real and not virtual global and regional security."

Director of the PIR Center and Co-Chair of the Conference Vladimir Orlov characterized the current state of the nonproliferation regime and existing nuclear deadlock in the following manner, "The universality of the NPT has not been ensured. Its disarmament elements are not always complied with. Tactical nuclear weapons remain to be uncovered by legally-binding agreements. There is a threat of arms race in outer space. Contrary to the NPT spirit, nuclear weapons are still deployed beyond national territory of nuclear-weapon states."

Unique character of the conference was emphasized by its ability to promote dialogue between governmental and nongovernmental structures engaged in nonproliferation. According to Scholar-in-Residence of the Moscow Carnegie Center Alexander Pikayev, "positive changes in the process of shaping Russia's policy and growing transparency in nuclear sphere enabled representative of academic community and activist organizations present their vision of the problems to officials of the State Duma, Minatom, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Security Council, Federal Security Service and other agencies concerned." Indeed, future of the regime requires promotion of nonproliferation culture.

The main result of the conference was further expansion of the discussion on nuclear nonproliferation and arms control matters, which becomes extremely important for the cause international peace and stability on the threshold of new millenium.

List of participants, transcripts of major reports and summaries of discussions in panels will be posted on the Web-sites of the Moscow Carnegie Center www.carnegie.ru and the PIR Center www.pircenter.org.

For additional information about the conference contact Natalia Kirpikova at tel.: (095) 935-8904; fax: (095) 935-8906; e-mail: nataliak@carnegie.ru
and Dmitry Polikanov at tel.: (095) 335-1955; fax (503) 234-9558; e-mail: polikanov@pircenter.org