THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

WASHINGTON, April 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a fact sheet on the weapons dismantlement (SSD) component of the U.S. assistance package for Russia announced at the summit in Vancouver:

The Nunn-Lugar legislation, as amended, provides up to $800 million in DOD funds to assist in the safe and secure transportation, storage and dismantlement of nuclear, chemical and other weapons; and to establish safeguards against their proliferation.

We have pledged at least $400 million in Nunn-Lugar assistance for Russia. Previously, we signed an umbrella agreement that provides the legal framework for the provision of assistance, and 7 implementing agreements providing up to $150 million in assistance. These agreements provide for:

• Armored blankets to enhance the safety and security of weapons and fissile material during transport;
• Safety and security enhancements for rail cars used in transporting nuclear weapons and fissile material;
• Emergency respons equipment to upgrade capabilities to respond in case of a nuclear accident;
• Transportation and storage containesr for fissile material removed from dismantled nuclear weapons;
• Assistance in the design of storage facility for fissile material;
• Assistance in chemical weapons destruction; and
• Establishment of a science center to employ former weapons scientists.

Last week, we concluded in Moscow three additional SSD agreements which provide up to:

• $130 million to assist in the elimination of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles -- ballistic missiles, submarines, and heavy bombers. This assistance will help to defray the costs to Russia of carrying out reductions in these forces.
• $75 million to procure construction and operating equipment for a fissile material storage facility. These funds are designed to permit Russian plans for warhead eliminations to continue on schedule.
  • $10 million in assistance to help establish nationl and facility-level systems for material control and accountability and for physical protection of civil nuclear material. Such systems will help to guard against the potential loss or proliferation of nuclear material.

These agreements demonstrate the importance the Clinton administration attaches to the SSD program as an integral part of its broad policy of cooperation and partnership with Russia.