#5
US State Department
09 October 2002
Bolton: G-8 Initiative Significant a Step against Proliferation
(Undersecretary of State testifies before Senate committee October 9) (2696)

The new G-8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Material of Mass Destruction "represents a significant expansion of international commitment to provide financial resources to address proliferation issues," the State Department's top arms control official says.

John Bolton, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee October 9 that the United States has pressed allies to provide such support since the U.S. launched the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction programs in 1992.

Under the Global Partnership, launched at the Kananaskis Summit in June, G-8 leaders pledged to raise up to $20,000 million over 10 years to support specific cooperation projects, initially in Russia, to address nonproliferation, disarmament, counter-terrorism, and nuclear safety issues. President Bush has committed to provide half this amount.

"From early indications from other G-8 members, we are about halfway toward meeting the $10,000 million target" for their contribution, Bolton said. The G-8 includes the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

But participation in the Global Partnership will not be limited to the G-8, Bolton said. "Other countries are already making valuable contributions: Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands are examples," he said.

Among the priority nonproliferation concerns to be addressed by the new initiative, Bolton said, the G-8 specifically named destruction of chemical weapons, disposition of fissile materials, employment of former weapon scientists, and dismantlement of decommissioned nuclear submarines.

He stressed, however, that for the Global Partnership to be successful, the Russian Federation will need to take concrete actions to resolve outstanding problems, including the inability of some G-8 members to reach agreement with Russia on adequate provisions for liability protections, exemption from taxation, access to work sites, and other conditions, as well as program delays due to poor coordination within the Russian government.

Bolton said the G-8 Senior Officials have agreed to provide a coordinating mechanism to help ensure high-level attention on any areas of difficulty. "We have already planned another meeting before the end of the calendar year to engage further on implementation guidelines, project for cooperation, and outreach to countries beyond the G-8," he said.

BACK TO THE TOP    #226 CONTENTS    NEXT ARTICLE