The Russia Journal Daily
May 5, 2003

Germany to help Russia disarm

May 05, 2003 Posted: 15:13 Moscow time (11:13 GMT)

Moscow - Germany will allocate EUR 30m to Russia in 2003, within the framework of the program for the destruction of chemical weapons. According to the press service of Sergei Kiriyenko, the presidential envoy in the Volga Federal District and chairman of the state commission for the destruction of chemical weapons, a corresponding agreement has been reached at a conference of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in the Hague. Mr. Kiriyenko headed the Russian delegation at the conference.

He held talks with Peter Schmidt, Deputy German Foreign Minister and head of the German delegation. The two sides exchanged notes on further cooperation within the framework of the chemical weapons destruction program. In particular, Germany planned to transfer about EUR 29.7m for the implementation of the program in 2003, including EUR 6.2m for the launch of the second line in the Gorny settlement (in the Saratov region) and EUR 23.5m ­ for the construction of a plant in the town of Kambarka (in the Udmurtia region).

Mr. Kiriyenko also met with Rogelio Pfirter, Director-General of the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW, Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap De Hoop Scheffer, and the heads of the American and German delegations. All participants of the meeting praised Russia for destroying 1 percent of its chemical arms arsenal, which was completed at the Gorny settlement on April 26, 2003.

In 1997, Russia ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention. According to it, the country committed itself to destroying all its chemicals weapons inherited from the Soviet Union. The destruction of chemical weapons will be implemented in four stages. At the first stage, 1 percent of the reserves should be destroyed, during the second stage ­ 20 percent, during the third stage ­ 45 percent. Finally, the rest should be destroyed at the fourth stage.

Russia's total chemical weapons reserves are estimated at 40,000 tons, which are kept in seven arsenals: 15.9 percent - in the town of Kambarka (the Udmurtia region), 2.9 percent ­ in the Gorny settlement (the Saratov region), 14.2 percent ­ in the Kizner settlement (the Udmurtia republic), 17.4 percent ­ in the Marasykovsky settlement (the Kirov region), 18.8 percent in the town of Pochep (the Bryansk region), 17.2 percent ­ in the Leonidovka settlement (the Penza region), and 13.6 percent ­ in the Schuchye settlement (the Kurgan region).

Russia has earmarked a total of RUR 90.238bn (about $2.91bn) for the implementation of the chemical weapons destruction program, including RUR 1.28bn for insuring safety of storing and destroying weapons, RUR 1.58bn - for a comprehensive medical and sanitary examination of areas surrounding destruction facilities, and RUR 1.96 ­ for state environmental control and monitoring. According to plan, two thirds of these funds will be allocated within the framework of the Global Partnership" program.