Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Nuclear cooperation is not without costs for Russia, and Russian policy has not
been entirely predictable
vis-à-vis
India. So far, Russia has been able to
circumvent some of the most restrictive clauses of key relevant regimes of which
Russia is a member because of loopholes and creative interpretation. At the
moment, India does not appear to have much choice but to bank on Russia's
stated and implied intentions. A critical testimony to the desire of the Russians to
deepen future relations is the Memorandum of Understanding on peaceful nuclear
energy uses signed along with the Declaration on Strategic Partnership during
Putin's visit to India. While the latter has been made public, the former remains
unpublished.
Russia has been careful about not appearing to deviate from the most important
nuclear export control mechanism, the Nuclear Suppliers Group and its
guidelines. Russia itself has enacted national export control legislation, most
notably the Federal Law 'On Export Controls' adopted in June 1999 by the
Russian Parliament and signed by the President. There is also an Export Control
Commission which has an impressive high level roster of representatives: the
Federal Security Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy,
Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Industry and Trade, the States Customs
Committee, State Committee on Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the Russian
President and the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Commission determines
whether contracts and agreements and some licenses comply with Russia's
international commitments.
30
According to some leading Russian critics, 'whole ministries are closely
associated with certain companies in pursuing their short-term economic
interests and ignoring long term Russian national interests'.
31
A campaign against
corruption was launched in Spring 1999 by then Prime Minister Primakov which
coincided with his other campaign to force Russian oligarchs to follow the law.
This may have led to his downfall when he was removed in May 1999.
The most export-oriented ministries are the Ministry of Atomic Energy, the
Russian Aviation and Space Agency and the Ministry of Economics which
stands in some contrast to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The greatest Russian
lobbyist for nuclear collaboration with India in recent times was the former
Minister of Atomic Energy, Yevgeny Adamov, who ignited a storm of
controversy when he indicated in an interview with the newspaper
The
Hindu
in
December 2000 that Russia might consider withdrawing from existing export
control regimes.
32
Adamov was making an oblique reference to the Nuclear Suppliers Group
(NSG) which was formed in 1975. Adamov cited China as an example since it is
not a member of the NSG, but is part of the Zangger Committee which does not
require full-scope safeguards. The NSG's Guidelines for Nuclear Transfers did
not demand full-scope safeguards for non-nuclear states until 1992 following the
discovery of Iraq's clandestine nuclear weapon program. President Boris Yeltsin
