By Joe Fiorill
Global Security Newswire

MOSCOW — With a key U.S.-Russian threat reduction effort set to expire Monday, U.S. and Russian officials here signed an agreement today authorizing the continuation of ongoing projects under the program (see GSN, July 23).

The Nuclear Cities Initiative agreement will be allowed to expire Monday, U.S. officials here confirmed today, because of U.S. concerns that its liability provisions would not sufficiently protect U.S. officials or contractors in case of injury or damages.  The 1998 Plutonium Science and Technology agreement was allowed to expire in July because of the same liability concerns, which have been a hot topic at an international nonproliferation conference that began here this morning (see GSN, July 25).

Through the initiative, the United States has helped to scale back activities in Russian nuclear weapon sites and to convert some sites to other uses.  According to the U.S. Energy Department’s Web site, the initiative “is the only U.S. government program whose primary aim is to help downsize the Russian nuclear weapons complex.”

Despite the lapsing initiative, 69 existing projects under the agreement will be allowed to continue until completion.  Paul Longsworth, deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, and a Russian counterpart signed a protocol this morning invoking language in the NCI agreement that allows for such extension of projects beyond the life of the agreement itself.

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