Nunn and Lugar Announce U.S.-Russia Dialogue in Moscow on May 27

NUNN AND LUGAR ANNOUNCE U.S.-RUSSIA DIALOGUE IN MOSCOW ON MAY 27

The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) will bring together key U.S. and Russian officials for a “U.S.-Russia Strategic Dialogue” in Moscow on Monday, May 27 to discuss building a global initiative to prevent catastrophic terrorism using nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, NTI Co-Chairman Sam Nunn and NTI Board Member Richard Lugar announced today. The Dialogue will be held at the Marriott Aurora Hotel (11/20 Petrokva Street) from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“It is essential for the United States and Russia to join together as partners in a multi-layered global coalition against catastrophic terrorism,” said Senator Nunn. “The U.S. and Russia were the key competitors in the arms race, and the deadly residue of that race endangers global security. Our two countries have an obligation to lead the world in undoing the danger.”

“This important dialogue will focus on the urgent need to take more effective action on a global scale to deny terrorist access to weapons of mass destruction,” said Senator Lugar. "Victory in this war can be succinctly stated: we must keep the world's most dangerous weapons and materials out of the hands of the world's most dangerous people.”

The dialogue — “Reducing the Threats from Weapons of Mass Destruction and Building a Global Coalition Against Catastrophic Terrorism” — will immediately follow the scheduled summit between Presidents Bush and Putin. Leading members of the U.S. Congress, the Bush Administration, the Russian government, and security experts will participate in the meeting, including Russian Duma members and NTI Board members Andrei Kokoshin and Vladimir Lukin and U.S. Senator and NTI Board member Pete Domenici (R-NM). Additional members of the U.S. Congress will include Senators Jeff Bingman (D-NM), Bob Graham (D-FL), and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Representatives Christopher Shays (R-CT) and John Spratt (D-SC).

The proposed coalition would build on the model of cooperation between the United States and Russia established by the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program over the past ten years. Participants in the dialogue will discuss elements of the proposed initiative including:

• Seeking the participation of every nation to secure all nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and materials on a global basis. There can be no weak link in the chain of global security.
• Developing world-class standards of inventory accounting, security of fissile materials and weapons, border and export control, and adequate international transparency. All nations should pledge to adhere to these standards. The premise should be clear: nations must not only refuse to harbor terrorists; they must refuse to harbor the means of nuclear terrorism.
• Reducing the threat of biological weapons use by improving disease surveillance, safeguarding biological materials, preventing the “brain-drain” of scientific expertise, developing normative standards for the conduct and context for scientific practice, establishing requirements for safe transfer and handling of dangerous pathogens and defining and implementing a research agenda to develop better tools for diagnosis and treatment.

NTI, co-chaired by philanthropist Ted Turner and Senator Nunn, is a charitable organization working to reduce the risk of use and prevent the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. NTI seeks to contribute to policies and activities that:

• Bring nuclear, biological and chemical weapons materials under secure control and reduce their quantities;
• Restrict the spread of weapons know-how;
• Reduce the risk of intentional or accidental use of weapons of mass destruction;
• Develop better strategies and means to guard against the threat from biological weapons;
• Bring about changes in nuclear forces to enhance safety, security and stability; and
• Increase public awareness, encourage dialogue, catalyze action and promote new thinking about reducing the dangers from weapons of mass destruction on a global basis.

Mr. Turner and Senator Nunn founded NTI in January 2001. Additional information regarding NTI can be found on our website at www.nti.org.

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