PIR MIDWEEK BRAINSTORMING MEETINGS

Midweek Brainstorming meetings make an informal scientific forum for discussion attended by PIR research associates, members of the Research Council and specially invited guests from governmental and non-governmental organizations. For instance, in late March, the meeting was devoted to planned transfer of licensing duties on nuclear energy uses from Gosatomnadzor to the Minatom. Among participants were officials of the MFA, the Minatom, and Gozatomnadzor, including Deputy Head of Gosatomnadzor Alexander Dmitriyev.

The objective of the meetings is to discuss key topics of the PIR research agenda, exchange information on conferences, seminars, business trips, etc. The PIR associates prepare reports on urgent international security issues. The results of discussion become the basis for further research and publications of the PIR Center.

Midweek Brainstorming meetings are held weekly, except weeks when the PIR Research Council meetings take place. Twice a month there are meetings for a broad number of participants, and twice a month for the PIR staff only. The number of participants does not exceed 15 persons, regular duration – 1-2 hours.

The previous meetings have focused on the following issues:

• Arms Control: Crisis or Search for New Agenda (September 12, 2001)
• India’s position on nonproliferation and disarmament issues (September 07, 2001).
• New trends in transcontinental freight and transport corridors (June 6, 2001).
• The implementation of conversion programs in the Minatom’s closed cities (May 30, 2001).
• Russian-Iranian nuclear cooperation and nonproliferation: technical and political aspects (April 11, 2001).
• Relations between the Minatom and Gosatomnadzor and amendments to the Law “On Nuclear Energy Uses” relating to licensing of activities pertaining to nuclear energy uses (March 28, 2001).
• Russian nuclear regionalism (February 14, 2001).
• Reform of the SMF and implementation of the CTR Program with respect to the SMF (January 24, 2001).
• Information security issues (January 17, 2001).
• Analysis of the situation in the Russian system of military-technical cooperation (December 13, 2000).
• US-Russian Plutonium Disposition Agreement: prospects for implementation (December 6, 2000).
• Missile and nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran: Russian approach (November 15, 2000).
• Illicit trafficking in nuclear material in Russia in 1999-2000 (November 1, 2000).
• Specialities of military-political commitments of Russian Federation in CIS (October 25, 2000).
• Prospects for nuclear energy development and Minatom’s position (October 11, 2000).
• Putin’s visit to Japan and the USA: new foreign policy approaches in practice (September 13, 2000).
• Reform of the Russian SMF as proposed by Chief of the General Staff Anatoly Kvashnin (July 19, 2000).
• Putin’s visit to North Korea and China (July 12, 2000).
• Russian missile defense initiatives (June 28, 2000).

For more information contact Junior Research Associate Dmitry Kovchegin at kovchegin@pircenter.org or by phone (095) 234-0525 and fax (095) 234-9558