US and Russian nuclear security officials meet

The official in charge of US nuclear security matters met Wednesday withRussia's deputy foreign minister to discuss cooperation to reduce thethreat of weapons of mass destruction, including a $20 billion Westerneffort to help Russia dispose of its arsenal of aging nuclear, biologicaland chemical weapons, the Foreign Ministry said.Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov and Linton Brooks, the actingadministrator of the US National Nuclear Security Administration, alsodiscussed the secure storage and transport of nuclear materials, militaryconversion, surplus fissile materials and refitting reactors "to meetmodern nonproliferation, ecological and economic needs," the ForeignMinistry said.Meanwhile, a spokesman said Wednesday that Russia's customs service hasinstalled four US-funded monitors to detect radioactive cargoes at northernborder crossing points. One of the systems is in place at St. Petersburg'sPulkovo airport, and the three others have been installed at sea cargocheckpoints on the Baltic Sea, the Russia Journal reported..