At their summit meeting in Vancouver, in April 1993, President Clinton
and President Yeltsin created the US-Russian Joint Commission on Economic
and Technological Cooperation. Since then it has become known as the Gore-Chernomyrdin
Commission (GCC), after its co-chairmen, US Vice President Al Gore and
Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. The Commission's original mandate
was to support cooperation between the United States and Russia in the
areas of space, energy, and high technology. [7] However, as of July 1996
the GCC had been expanded to include eight different committees: Space,
Business Development, Energy Policy, Defense Conversion, Science and Technology,
Environment, Health, and Agribusiness. The Commission formally convenes
about twice a year in either Washington or Moscow; the individual committees
maintain regular contact throughout the year.[1]
Those committees most directly linked to nonproliferation concerns
are the Energy Policy and Defense Conversion committees.
The Energy Policy Committee was chaired in the United States
by Secretary of Energy Federico Pena and co-chaired in Russia by Minister
of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov and Deputy Minister of Fuel and Energy
Sergey Kiriyenko.[3] The goals of the committee are to reduce the
risks associated with nuclear power and the dismantlement of nuclear weapons,
to encourage the environmentally safe and efficient production and use
of energy, and to establish an environment to encourage economic reform
and western investment.[2]
The Defense Conversion Committee currently is chaired in the United
States by Deputy Secretary of Defense John Hamre and co-chaired in Russia
by Secretary of the Defense Council Andrey Kokoshin and Valeriy A. Mikhailov,
the Chief of the Department of Defense Industries in the Office of the
Prime Minister. The committee was established to focus specifically on
defense diversification issues in Russia.[3]
CHRONOLOGY
Listed below is a partial chronology of the GCC's meetings as they relate
to nonproliferation issues. The GCC's primary work is in efforts for nuclear
materials protection, control, and accounting (MPC&A), nuclear safety,
and the safe storage and eventual production cutoff of weapons-grade fissile
material.
Gore-Chernomyrdin 1----September 1993 The United States and Russia agreed to jointly study nuclear reactor
safety issues to ascertain the most potentially productive areas for joint
work. [1]
Gore-Chernomyrdin 2----December 1993 Energy Vice President Gore and Prime Minister Chernomyrdin signed a statement
of principles for nuclear safety cooperation. (Joint
Principles for Nuclear Reactor Safety) With this agreement, both
governments committed themselves to supporting and extending bilateral
and multilateral nuclear safety efforts.
US Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary and Russian Minister of Atomic
Energy Viktor Mikhailov signed an agreement on improving the safety of
Russian nuclear reactors. The agreement provides for developing emergency
operating procedures and training for workers at a number of VVER-440,
VVER-1000, and RBMK reactors. It also provides for the joint development
of improved nuclear and radiation safety regulations in the Russian Federation.
Finally, the agreement provides a legal and liability framework for US
corporations that are working in Russia to improve the safety of these
reactors.
Agreement
Concerning Operational Safety Enhancements, Risk Reduction Measures and
Nuclear Safety Regulation for Civil Nuclear Facilities in the Russian Federation
Defense Conversion Vice President Gore and Prime Minister Chernomyrdin agreed on principles
to guide US and Russian cooperation in the conversion and diversification
of Russian defense industries. They also established a "protocol to the
existing Nunn-Lugar defense conversion implementation agreement that provided
up to $20 million for direct conversion assistance for the transition to
civilian production of modular housing."[1]
Gore-Chernomyrdin Related Meeting Between DOE and Minatom----March
1994 US Secretary of Energy O'Leary and Russian Minister of Atomic Energy
Mikhailov signed an agreement of intent to allow, by the end of 1994, bilateral
inspection of some facilities that store plutonium formerly used in nuclear
weapons. The action was taken in accordance with President Clinton's and
President Yeltsin's desire for greater transparency and irreversibility
between Russia and the United States in the disarmament process. To facilitate
these inspections, it was agreed that technical experts from the two countries
would meet within two months of the date the agreement was signed to define
the procedures for inspecting the plutonium and confirming that it came
from nuclear weapons.
Joint Statement
on Inspection of Facilities Containing Fissile Material Removed from Nuclear
Weapons
Defense Conversion At this meeting of the Commission, the United States publicized the
first contract awards made to US firms that had established joint ventures
with Russian defense firms. These awards were made possible by the March
1994 Nunn-Lugar defense conversion agreement that allocates up to $20 million
in assistance for defense conversion. The United States also announced
the incorporation of the Defense Enterprise Fund which was formed with
a $7.7 million grant to assist in defense conversion in the NIS. Finally,
both sides agreed to expedite construction of the fissile material storage
facility at Mayak.[1]
They also agreed to share unclassified technical information about nuclear
warheads to enhance the safety and security of their dismantlement.
Warhead
Safety and Security Agreement
Defense Conversion The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) committed itself
to granting $500 million in insurance and financial assistance to US firms
engaged in joint ventures with Russian defense companies. Also at this
meeting, Vice President Gore announced the award of four contracts to US
firms and their Russian defense enterprise counterparts totalling $16.6
million.[1]
A joint statement was also issued by Secretary O'Leary and Minister
Mikhailov concerning transparency measures of the highly enriched uranium
(HEU) purchase program. They agreed to adhere to all of the tenets of the
former agreements and adopted several specific additional procedures for
transparency at the Russian facilities processing the HEU. Comparable transparency
requirements were also to be extended to the US enrichment facility at
Portsmouth where the low-enriched uranium delivered under the program is
stored and processed.
Joint Statement
on HEU Purchase Agreement Transparency Measures
Defense Conversion A possible joint venture with a facility that formerly produced guidance
systems for ICBMs was announced. This facility would be converted
to provide civilian software programming. Also announced was the "Pathways
to Partnerships" convention in San Jose, California from June 7-9, 1995.
This convention was organized to showcase Russian technologies and to pair
up Russian and American businessmen for potential future joint ventures.[1,4]
Gore-Chernomyrdin 6----January 1996 Energy The Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy and the US Department of Energy
agreed to create a Russian American Consortium on fuel elements to develop
environmentally safe and marketable fuel cell power sources.
Joint Statement
Regarding the Creation of a RussianAmerican Fuel Cell Consortium
A joint statement was also signed regarding the International Nuclear
Safety Centers. Overseen by the US Department of Energy and the Russian
Ministry of Atomic Energy, these two centers were designed to work together
to "promote continuing improvement of nuclear safety and enhance core competencies
in nuclear technology. They are to maintain technical excellence in safe
nuclear reactor design, promote the development of nuclear safetyrelated
technologies, and serve as international focal points for exchange of safety
information." [2] The Centers' initial joint projects in 1996 were the
development of an international nuclear safety database comprising plant-specific
information and reactor safety evaluations and the development of a material
properties database that includes severe accident analysis and evolving
accident management guidelines.
Joint Statement
on Establishment of International Nuclear Safety Centers
Defense Conversion During this meeting a finance protocol for a new potential joint venture
to provide computer systems and programming services was signed. The committee
also announced its plans to sponsor three conference workshops in the United
States and Russia to promote defense conversion business partnerships.[1]
A draft agreement of the Russian-American Consortium on Fuel Cells was
presented and there was a "renewed commitment to move forward to execute
a New Peaceful Use Agreement."[5]
Defense Conversion An expansion of the SovLux joint venture to produce batteries and photovolatics
was announced. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)
pledged to provide financing and risk insurance to twenty-two new projects.
Finally, with the conclusion of the Accord on the Temporary Resolution
on Eliminating Taxation, there was a six month freeze on the taxes normally
attached to US technical assistance and services.[5]
Also, in a joint statement signed by then-Acting US Secretary of Energy
Charles Curtis and Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov the
two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the cooperative MPC&A program
and added the Research
Institute for Instruments (Lytkarino) to the list of current sites.[6]
Gore-Chernomyrdin 9----September 1997 Energy During this meeting of the Commission, the major issues surrounding
the shutdown of the three remaining Russian plutonium production reactors
were resolved. An agreement signed by Vice President Gore and Prime Minister
Chernomyrdin detailed the core conversion plans for the three remaining
Russian plutonium production reactors. According to this agreement,
these reactors will cease the production of weapons-grade plutonium by
December 31, 2000. By that time, their cores will be converted to produce
only reactor-grade plutonium and will continue producing only reactor grade
plutonium until the end of their normal lifetimes. Furthermore,
the two sides agreed that the plutonium reactors already shut down will
remain so.
Sources: [1] US Department of State Bureau of Public Affairs,
"U.S.-Russian Joint Commission on Economic and Technological Cooperation
(Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission)," online edition, http://www.state.gov/www/regions/nis/gore_chernomyrdin.html,
12 July 1996. [2] US Department of Energy, "Gore Chernomyrdin Commission
on Economic and Technological Cooperation," online edition, http://www.eia.doe.gov/gorec,
7 March 1997. [3] United States Information Agency, "Committees of
the U.S.-Russia Binational Commission (The Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission),"
http://www.usis.usemb.se/regional/bnc/usrussia/committees, 2 October 1997 [4] Silicon Valley Defense/Space Consortium, "Pathways
to Partnerships," http://www.svdsc.org/rusrep.shtml. [5] "Expansion of Nuclear Material Control Program, Tax
Relief on U.S. Funds, New Venture in Fuel Cell Mark July G-CC Meeting,"
Post-Soviet Nuclear & Defense Monitor, vol. 3, no. 19, 31 July
1996, p. 1. [6] Cerniello, Craig, "Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission Expands
Cooperative Measures," Arms Control Today, March 1997, p. 26. [7] "Fact Sheet: Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission," U.S.
Department of State Dispatch, vol. 5, no. 52, 26 December 1994, pp.
843-846. {Entered 11/19/97 PBI}
Last updated 22 March 1999
Comments or questions? Contact Cristina Chuen at MIIS CNS: Cristina.ChuenATmiis.edu
Foreign Assistance
