Russia, Canada sign agreement on weapons disposal

Russia and Canada signed an agreement on cooperation in the destruction of chemical weapons and the disposal of old Russian nuclear submarines. The agreement also entails counting, controlling and protecting nuclear materials and radioactive substances.

Sergei Kislyak and James Wright, the deputy foreign ministers of Russia and Canada, signed the agreement.

The agreement is the legal basis for implementing large-scale Russian-Canadian cooperation within a global partnership program endorsed by G8 leaders two years ago at the summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

In Kananaskis, the G8 leaders agreed that the initial stage of the global partnership should focus on disarmament projects in Russia.

President Putin said that the destruction of chemical weapons and disposal of nuclear submarines was a priority for Russia.

Canada said that it would give $650,000 to the global partnership.

Canada plans to use the bulk of the money to assist Russia in destroying chemical weapons and disposing of nuclear submarines. The agreement signed in Sea Island covers these issues.

Russia's Atomic Energy Agency will be responsible for implementing the disposal of old nuclear submarines aspect of the agreement and the Federal Agency for Industry will supervise the destruction of chemical weapons.

Russian experts and their Canadian counterparts have jointly worked on preliminarily measures for these projects.

Work to construct facilities in Shchuchye in the Kurgan Region (the Urals) to destroy chemical weapons and facilities in the Arkhangelsk region (the White Sea) dispose of nuclear submarine must begin very soon.