Wayzata World Factbook 1996/The World Factbook - 1996 Edition - Wayzata Technology (3079) (1996).iso/mac/TEXT/backgrd/RUSSIA.BKI

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U.S. Department of State
Background Notes:  Russia, October 1995
Bureau of Public Affairs


October 1995
Official Name:   Russian Federation


Military Issues

As noted, Russia signed the NATO Partnership for Peace initiative in
June 1994; the U.S. looks forward to Russia's active participation in
Partnership for Peace.  The U.S. and Russia signed a memorandum of
understanding on defense cooperation in September 1993 which
institutionalized and expanded relations between defense ministries,
including establishing a broad range of military-to-military contacts.
The U.S. and Russia carried out a joint peacekeeping training exercise
in Totskoye, Russia, in September 1994.  Based on the January 14, 1994,
agreement between Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin, the two nations
stopped targeting their strategic nuclear missiles at each other as of
May 30, 1994.

Agreements/Cooperation.  U.S. and Russian security cooperation
emphasizes strategic stability, nuclear safety, dismantling nuclear
weapons, preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and
their delivery systems, and enhancing military-to-military contacts.  At
the Lisbon summit in 1992, the United States signed a protocol to the
START I Treaty with Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine--where the
strategic nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union were located--
making the four countries party to the treaty and committing all
signatories to reductions in strategic nuclear weapons within the seven-
year period provided by the treaty.  The treaty entered into force
December 5, 1994.

On January 3, 1993, the U.S. and Russia signed the Treaty between the
United States of America and the Russian Federation on Further
Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START II). This
treaty reduces overall deployments of strategic nuclear weapons on each
side by more than two-thirds from current levels and will eliminate the
most destabilizing strategic weapons--heavy intercontinental ballistic
missiles (ICBMs) and all other deployed multiple-warhead ICBMs.  At the
September 1994 summit, the two nations agreed to immediately begin
removing nuclear warheads due to be scrapped under START II--instead of
taking the nine years allowed --once START I takes effect and the START
II Treaty is ratified by both countries.  At their May 1995 summit,
Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin agreed on a set of principles that would
guide further discussion in the field of demarcation between anti-
ballistic missile systems and theater missile defenses.  They also
agreed on steps to increase the transparency and irreversibility of
nuclear arms reduction and committed not to use in nuclear weapons newly
produced fissile materials or fissile materials removed from nuclear
weapons being eliminated and excess to national security requirements.

Following ratification by Russia and the other NIS, the Conventional
Armed Forces in Europe Treaty entered into force on November 9, 1992.
This treaty establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of
military equipment--tanks, artillery, armored combat vehicles, combat
aircraft, and combat helicopters--and provides for the destruction of
weaponry in excess of these limits.

Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR).   Often called Nunn-Lugar
assistance, this type of assistance is provided to Russia (as well as
Belarus, Kazakstan, and Ukraine) to aid in the dismantlement of weapons
of mass destruction and prevent the proliferation of such weapons.  To
date, the U.S. has allocated over $600 million for assistance to Russia
under this program.  Thirteen implementing agreements have been signed.
Key projects have included assistance in the elimination of strategic
offensive arms ($162 million), design and construction of a fissile
material storage facility ($90 million), provision of fissile material
containers ($50 million), material control and accounting and physical
protection of nuclear materials ($45 million), and development of a
chemical weapons destruction plan and provision of equipment for a pilot
laboratory for the safe and secure destruction of chemical weapons ($55
million).  Under the CTR program, the U.S. is also assisting Russia in
the development of export controls; providing emergency response
equipment and training to enhance Russia's ability to respond to
accidents involving nuclear weapons; providing increased military-to-
military contacts; and encouraging the conversion of Russian defense
firms through the formation of joint ventures to produce products,
including housing, for the civilian market.  As part of the CTR program,
the U.S. has awarded $20 million to a joint venture project involving an
American housing firm and three Russian aerospace firms to construct
housing for demobilized military officers.  Portions of the Russian
defense firms will be converted to the production of prefabricated
housing systems and related products.  In a multilateral effort (the
European Union and Japan are also involved), the U.S. has also provided
$35 million to establish the International Science and Technology Center
(ISTC), which provides alternative peaceful civilian employment
opportunities to scientists and engineers of the former Soviet Union
involved with weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

Officer Housing Resettlement.  The U.S. has assisted Russia with the
construction of housing for demobilizing military officers.  In response
to appeals from the Russian and Baltic Governments, the United States
announced at the 1993 Vancouver summit the Russian Officer Housing
Resettlement Program to ease the burden of withdrawing Russian military
forces from the Baltic nations.  A pilot project for construction of 450
housing units for demobilizing officers was begun in summer 1993.  At
the Tokyo summit of G-7 leaders, President Clinton committed the United
States to finance 5,000 housing units for demobilizing military
officers.  Congress appropriated $160 million in FY 1994 for this
project.  Of the 5,000 houses, 2,500 will be new construction and 2,500
will be provided through vouchers for existing houses.  Distribution of
vouchers and assignment of housing began in August 1994 and is expected
to continue through 1996.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Ambassador--Thomas R. Pickering
Deputy Chief of Mission--Richard M. Miles
Counselor for Political Affairs--William J. Burns
Counselor for Economic Affairs--Michael Mozur
Counselor for Commercial Affairs--John Peters
Counselor for Consular Affairs--Michael Marine
Counselor for Agricultural Affairs--Mary Revelt
Counselor for Administrative Affairs--Peter S. Flynn
Counselor for Public Affairs--Paul R. Smith
Private Enterprise Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development--
James A. Norris
Senior Representative, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)--Dennis B.
Cooper
Defense Attache--Brig. Gen. John C. Reppert, USAF
Treasury Attache--William C. Murden
Regional Security Officer--Robert J. Franks
Immigration and Naturalization Service--Irena Kipa-Daigle

The U.S. embassy in Russia is located at Novinskiy Bulvar 19/23, Moscow
(tel. [7] [phone]-59; fax: [7] [phone]).

Consuls General

Consulate General, St. Petersburg (Furshtatskaya Ulitsa 15, tel. [7]
[phone])--John Evans
Consulate General, Vladivostok (Mordovtseva Ulitsa 12, tel. [7] (4232)
268-458/554)--Desiree Millikan
Consulate General, Yekaterinburg (tel. [7] [phone])--Howard
Steers

In Moscow, the U.S. Commercial Office is located at Novinskiy Bulvar 15
(tel. [7] [phone]/4660 or 956-4255, fax:  [7] [phone]).
In St. Petersburg, the U.S. Commercial Office is located at Bolshaya
Morskaya Ulitsa 57 (tel. [7] [phone], fax: [7] [phone]).


========================================
Background Notes Series  --  Published by the United States Department
of State  --  Bureau of Public Affairs  --  Office of Public
Communication  --  Washington, DC  --  Series Editor:  Marilyn J.
Bremner

Russia  --  Department of State Publication 10305  --  October 1995

This material is in the public domain and may be reprinted without
permission; citation of this source is appreciated.  For sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC  20402.
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