Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 67, October - November 2002

News Review

US Continues to Harry Russia on Export Policy

Albeit in the context of a 'new strategic relationship', the US continues to exert constant pressure on Russia to abandon its close military, economic and political ties with a number of states regarded by Washington as potential proliferators of WMD and supporters of terrorism. Perhaps the harshest words in the period under review were from US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who told reporters after discussions with President Bush in Crawford, Texas, on August 21:

"To the extent that Russia decides it wants to parade its relationships with countries like Iraq and Libya and Syria and Cuba and North Korea, it sends a signal out across the globe. ... [I]t hurts them, because...businessmen can make a decision: where do they want to put a plant? Where do they want to invest? Where do they want to have a relationship? To the extent that country is saying to the world that, in fact, they want to be known as close personal friends of Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro and Kim Jong-il and those folks, it sends a signal that is harmful to them, it seems to me..."

Russian Foreign Ministry deputy official spokesperson Boris Malakhov replied to Rumsfeld's comments on August 24: "This is not the first case when the Pentagon takes upon itself an uncharacteristic mission to issue statements on behalf of America and...American business. It is hard for us to judge to what extent, and by whom, the Pentagon is authorized to do that. One gets the impression, however, that the American military leadership is compelled to resort to this kind of statement in the absence of any serious arguments in favour of force-based scenarios being imposed by it, which arouse growing concern in the world. As to economic ties with the countries mentioned in the Rumsfeld statement, we proceed from the assumption that the Pentagon does have information about the states and companies which, in strict accordance with international norms, are engaged in this activity. Ideologizing foreign economic ties? Well, that was a feature of the times of the Cold War, [which] through joint efforts...receded into the past - we believe irreversibly... Today new principles of cooperation and a collective struggle against threats and challenges to international security are being established in the world. These principles are...at the core of the present day relations of strategic partnership between Russia and the USA."

Oddly, Rumsfeld's list omitted Iran, a member of the President's "axis of evil". In unavailing efforts reaching back into the Clinton administration, the US has sought to dissuade Russia from proceeding with plans to construct and supply fuel for a nuclear reactor in Bushehr. On August 21, Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev reported that agreement had been reached with Tehran providing for the return to Russia of all spent fuel: "We will return all the spent nuclear fuel, and it will not fall into anybody's hands but Russia's... Now we are completely legitimate." On September 2, Deputy Atomic Energy Minister Valery Lebedev, quoted by the Interfax news agency, confirmed the arrangement: "Russia will strictly adhere to the principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency, under which spent nuclear fuel must be returned to the country supplying the fuel." The previous day, around 600 Russian technicians began work on a new phase in the construction of the 1,000-megawatt reactor. According to Viktor Kozlov, Managing Director of the state-run Atomstroiexport company carrying out the work, "we have reached the stage of assembling our reactor and the turbine... [T]he number of Russian specialists [in Iran] will rise and will reach 2,000 people by year-end". On September 23, Rumyantsev predicted that the reactor would enter service by the end of 2003. Despite considerable speculation and some official hints (see last issue), there are no definite plans for Russia to assist in the construction of any further reactors at the Bushehr site.

On September 12, the US State Department announced the imposition of sanctions against three Russian companies as punishment for - in the words of Undersecretary of State John Bolton, visiting Moscow - the sale of "lethal military equipment" to Libya, Sudan and Syria. Bolton, speaking on September 13, told reporters he had just held talks with Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov and other senior officials, focusing in part on "ways in which we could coordinate sales of conventional weapons to avoid the problem of sales...to state sponsors of terrorism... In the United States, there is an absolute prohibition of such sales." Russia reacted to the development in an angry statement from deputy spokesperson Malakhov (September 13):

"Indeed, on September 4 the American side officially informed us of the imposition of sanctions against three Russian defence enterprises: the State Unitary Enterprise KB Priborostroeniya, Federal State Unitary Enterprise Bazalt, and the Joint Stock Company Rostvertol, citing as the reason for this step deliveries of Russian military equipment to Libya, Syria, and the Sudan. On September 12, the Russian MFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] received US Undersecretary of State John Bolton and pointed out to him the illegitimacy of the actions and their resolute non-acceptance by the Russian side. Our demarche was [also] delivered to the American side...via other channels. It is particularly bewildering to us that a partner of ours in the anti-terrorist coalition should have taken such an unjustified move. As is known, there exist no decisions of an international nature prohibiting or restricting arms supplies to Libya, Syria, or the Sudan. Russia military technological cooperation with these countries is absolutely legitimate; moreover, it bears a very limited character. Russia is generally pursuing a very responsible policy in the field of arms transfers and strictly observes the provisions of the UN Charter, all the resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly, and the UN Guiding Principles with regard to international arms deliveries of December 6, 1991, as well as all our obligations under the international regimes for non-proliferation and export controls. Russia exports arms based on its national, including economic, interests. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other departments in this connection are taking proper measures to protect the rights and interests of the Russian enterprises carrying on military-technological cooperation with foreign states."

The sanctions - initially to take effect for one year, and presumably subject to review at the end of that period - ban the three entities from exporting any goods to, or receiving any services or supplies from, the US.

Reports: Rumsfeld says attack on Iraq would not harm US-Russia relations, Washington File, August 21; Iran-Russia - Ministers formalize spent-fuel agreement, Global Security Newswire, August 22; Remarks by Boris Malakhov, Deputy official spokesman of Russia's Foreign Ministry, August 24, 2002, Russian Foreign Ministry transcript; Russia starts on Iran nuke plant, Associated Press, September 1; Russian work on nuclear plant in Iran enters key stage, official says, Associated Press, September 1; Russia drafts agreement on returning spent nuclear fuel from controversial Iranian plant, Associated Press, September 2; Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Georgy Mamedov meets with US Undersecretary of State John Bolton, Russian Foreign Ministry Statement, Document 1785-12-09-2002, September 12; Remarks by Boris Malakhov, Deputy official spokesman of Russia's Foreign Ministry, September 13, 2002, Russian Foreign Ministry transcript; Russia dazed by US sanctions on its arms makers, Reuters, September 13; Russia angered by US sanctions, Associated Press, September 13; Russia says it will finish Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran by the end of 2003, Associated Press, September 23.

Back to the Top of the Page