NONPROLIFERATION OF MISSILES AND MISSILE TECHNOLOGY

In January 2001 the PIR Center started a new project - "Nonproliferation of Missiles and Missile Technology" - to be implemented within the framework of the "Nonproliferation and Russia" program.

The PIR Center conducts research and prepares analytical papers, holds meetings of experts from Russia, the CIS, the United States, and Europe. In cooperation with the Research Center for Nonproliferation Problems (Kiev) and the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies (Monterey, CA), the PIR Center publishes an analytical newsletter "Missiles and Outer Space".

This is the first Russian publication covering nonproliferation of missiles and missile technology.

Marshal Igor Sergeyev, Presidential Aide on Strategic Stability Issues, made a welcome address to the newsletter published in the first issue of the bulletin. He emphasized that “deepening of international integration, growing interdependence and cooperation in different spheres, shaping of economic and information space become an important way of strengthening international security and maintaining stability. Missiles and Aerospace published by the PIR Center may play an important part in solving this problem. Some developments are being replaced by new events. However, one may argue that in the last 10 years the WMD nonproliferation issues, above all, nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, have become some of the principal problems of modern international relations.”

Georgy Mamedov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, in his address to the readers pointed out, “I find this new PIR’s undertaking quite useful. I believe that the pages of Missile and Aerospace will reflect some topical issues of the modern world – nonproliferation of missiles and missile technology, missile defense and prevention of arms race in outer space. These three key matters make the important components of strategic stability. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir V. Putin has repeatedly emphasized the need for responsible approach towards maintaining strategic stability in the 21^st century, notably for preventing the transformation of outer space into the sphere of power rivalry or military confrontation.”

The list of authors of the analytical articles and reports contains PIR Senior Research Associate Dmitry Evstafiev; Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director of the Acronym Institute; Mikhail Lysenko, Deputy Director of the Department for Security and Disarmament Affairs of the MFA; Daniel Pinkston, Senior Research Associate of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies; Victor Koltunov, Consultant of the International Treaties Department of the MOD; Vitaly Lukyantsev, Senior Counselor of the Department for Security and Disarmament Affairs of the MFA.

Each issue contains the "Information" section summarizing materials of the Russian and foreign media on the non-proliferation of missiles and missile technologies, exploration of outer space and world market of space technologies, missile defense, and the news of the aerospace agencies of Russia and other states.

The issues to be dealt with include:

• Nonproliferation of missiles and missile technologies;
• International missile and aerospace projects;
• Activities of the Strategic Missile Forces, the Russian Aerospace Agency;
• Problems of missile defense (strategic and tactical missile defense systems);
• Cooperation in exchange of data from systems of early warning of missile attack;
• MTCR;
• Export controls pertaining to missiles and missile technologies.

The newsletter comes out 4 times a year and is disseminated in Russia and the CIS (above all, in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine) among experts and policymakers.

On April 16, 2001 in Moscow the PIR Center held regular Research Council meeting on “Proliferation of Missiles and Missile Technologies: Threats to Russian Security”. Executive Director of the Acronym Institute (London, UK) Rebecca Johnson made a report. The other invited speaker was Senior Counselor of the Department for Security and Disarmament Affairs of the Russian MFA Vitaly Lukyantsev.

The seminar was attended by experts of the Russian MFA, MOD, Rosaviakosmos, the Military Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces, the Military Academy of the General Staff, the Diplomatic Academy, the Center for Political and International Studies, the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, the Institute of Strategic Stability, and the PIR Center.

On June 12, 2001 the PIR Center held the press conference for Russian and foreign journalists "Proliferation of Missiles and Missile Technologies: Threats to Strategic Stability" (Press Development Institute) and presented the first issue of “ Missiles and Outer Space”.

In December 2001 the PIR Center plans to publish a book by Yury Fedorov on missile and missile technology proliferation and ways to curb it. This will be one of the first publications in Russia on this topic and it will cover a broad range of issues.

In February 2002, the PIR Center will hold a seminar on missile and missile technology proliferation. The PIR Center plans to invite a broad range of Russian and foreign experts and governmental officials, including the State Duma deputies and staff.

Any further information can be obtained from Project Administrator Marsalina Tsyrenjapova. Contact information: phone: (095) 234-0525; fax: (095) 234-9558 or by e-mail: tsyrenjapova@pircenter.org