NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION CHALLENGES: SOUTH ASIA

Starting from July 2001 the PIR Center launches its new project - Nuclear Nonproliferation Challenges: South Asia - which will be carried out within the Nonproliferation and Russia Program.

South Asia is a region where two countries that are not state parties to the NPT are situated - India and Pakistan. The two nations conducted nuclear tests and, hence, take a special niche in the international law, having an unprecedented non-regulated nuclear status. At the same time, the region represents a huge and extremely attractive market for technologies and goods, including nuclear-related items.

The PIR Center studies current economic and political situation in the region, its history and possible development of nuclear programs of the two nations, their trade and economic relations with the world. The project will focus, for example, on Russian-Indian nuclear energy cooperation, relations within the region and international export controls and many other issues.

Within the framework of the project, the PIR Center plans:

• to hold in 2001 a seminar on Indian nuclear policy in Moscow involving Russian and Indian experts;
• to participate and report at the 51st Pugwash Conference in Agra, India;(del)
• to prepare publications on Russian-Indian nuclear cooperation (e.g. on nuclear fuel supplies to Tarapur, construction of energy units in Kudankulam, etc.);
• to publish in 2002 an occasional paper on South Asia and nonproliferation.

The project engages Amb. (ret.) Roland Timerbaev and PIR Intern Vitaly Fedchenko.

For more information contact PIR Intern Vitaly Fedchenko at fedchenko@pircenter.org or by phone (095) 234-0525 and fax (095) 234-9558