- WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Moscow's
continued support of Iran and Syria's nuclear and missile program and poor
coordination within the Russian government worries Washington and may undermine
future bilateral cooperation and a global nonproliferation initiative,
a top U.S. arms control official told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Wednesday.
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- "We remain very concerned that the nuclear and missile
program of Iran and others, including Syria, continue to receive the benefits
of Russian technology and expertise," said John Bolton, undersecretary
for Arms Control and International Security.
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- He was appearing before the committee to discuss the
G8's Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The G8 represents the world's top industrialized nations and Russia.
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- Bolton said though cooperation with Russia on Washington's
withdrawal from the 1972 Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty had been successful,
serious divisions remained over the flow "from Russia to other countries"
of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials
and technology.
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- "Concerns about Russia's performance on its arms
control and non-proliferation commitments have already adversely affected
important bilateral efforts, and unless resolved could pose a threat to
new initiatives including the global partnership," Bolton said.
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- Bolton singled out what he said was Russia's considerable
help to Iran's "nuclear weapons program, Tehran's long-range missile
program, which was built with North Korean technology, and its pursuit
of longer-range missiles that could "threaten Europe, Russia, and
eventually the United States."
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- The G8 Global Partnership was signed by the world's seven
top industrialized nations and Russia in June 2002 at a summit in Kananaskis,
Canada, in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
The partnership agreed to support specific projects, initially in Russia,
to address non-proliferation, disarmament, counter-terrorism and nuclear
safety.
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- A total of $20 billion over the next 10 years was earmarked
for the "destruction of chemical weapons, the dismantlement of decommissioned
nuclear submarines, the disposition of fissile materials and the employment
of former weapons scientists." The United States pledged half that
amount.
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- "From early indications from other G8 members, we
are a little over halfway toward meeting the $10 billion target,"
Bolton told the committee.
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- He said Canada would contribute $650 million; Britain
$750 million; Germany $1.5 billion; the European Commission $1 billion;
and Japan would initially put in $250 million.
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- But, he warned, not all countries had been able to implement
non-proliferation cooperation agreements with Moscow.
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- "Some have been unable to conclude government-to-government
implementing agreements because of inability to reach agreement with Russia
on adequate provisions for liability protections, exemption from taxation,
access to work sites, and other conditions."
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- He also blamed poor coordination within the Russian government
for the delay.
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- "For the new Global Partnership to be successful,
the Russian Federation will need to take concrete actions to resolve outstanding
problems," Bolton said.
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