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Suggested Citation:"Epilogue." National Research Council. 2006. Strengthening Long-Term Nuclear Security: Protecting Weapon-Usable Material in Russia. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11377.
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Epilogue

In the long term, meticulous control and protection of weapon-usable material in Russia is critical for world security. Over the past decade, the Russian and U.S. governments have engaged in unprecedented cooperation in this highly sensitive area and have supported important steps to help secure this material. Now, as the technological sophistication of terrorist groups operating in Russia and elsewhere increases, it is more important than ever that the United States and Russia achieve their goals for the security of weapon-usable material and transfer full responsibility to Russia for protecting its own material.

Ensuring the security of weapon-usable material is a complex process. It requires knowledgeable and dedicated personnel at the national and facility levels; effective materials protection, control, and accounting (MPC&A) procedures that are routinely enforced; performance testing programs; incentives to report problems and take corrective actions; and programs to emphasize and reinforce best practices.

While there has been considerable progress in these areas as a result of the U.S.-Russian cooperative program, a number of challenges remain. Among U.S. and Russian experts, there remain different perceptions of the threat to Russian nuclear facilities posed by theft of material. Further, the Russian legal, regulatory, technology, and training infrastructures for supporting modern MPC&A systems are not fully developed. And there is hesitation both in Moscow and Washington to reorient cooperative endeavors of the past decade away from a technical assistance model toward genuine partnership.

Suggested Citation:"Epilogue." National Research Council. 2006. Strengthening Long-Term Nuclear Security: Protecting Weapon-Usable Material in Russia. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11377.
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These challenges are slowly being addressed. The committee believes that the recommendations set forth in this report will help preserve the successful approaches of the past decade and will assist in the adoption of improved approaches to achieve a sound, Russian-directed MPC&A program.

The MPC&A program in Russia must succeed. The security of Russia’s weapon-usable material is an imperative for Russia, for the United States, and for the world.

Suggested Citation:"Epilogue." National Research Council. 2006. Strengthening Long-Term Nuclear Security: Protecting Weapon-Usable Material in Russia. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11377.
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Page 47
Suggested Citation:"Epilogue." National Research Council. 2006. Strengthening Long-Term Nuclear Security: Protecting Weapon-Usable Material in Russia. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11377.
×
Page 48
Next: Appendix A Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in the Area of Nuclear Material Physical Protection, Control, and Accounting »
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In July 2005, the National Academies released the report Strengthening Long-term Nuclear Security: Protecting Weapon-Usable Material in Russia. The report highlighted several obstacles in the transition from a U.S.-Russian cooperative program to a Russian-directed and Russian-funded fully indigenized program that will ensure the security of 600 tons of weapon-usable nuclear material at a level of international acceptability. Overcoming these obstacles requires an increased political commitment at a number of levels of the Russian Government to modern material protection, control, and accounting systems (MPC&A). Adequate resources must be provided to facilities where weapon-usable material is located for upgrading and maintaining MPC&A systems. Additionally, the technical security systems that are being installed through the cooperative program need to be fully embraced by Russian managers and specialists. The report recommends the establishment of a ten-year indigenization fund of about $500 million provided by Russia and its G-8 partners as a new mechanism for gradually shifting the financial burden of MPC&A to the Russian Government.

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