Russia to tighten export control over n-tech

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, FEB. 23. Russia is going to tighten export control over missile and nuclear technologies, but this will not affect its cooperation with India.

The National Security Council on Thursday called for additional measures to prevent illegal export of sensitive technologies, such as more severe punishment of offenders and mandatory Government screening of export contracts.

The meeting was closed to media, but in televised opening remarks the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, for the first time admitted that some Russian agencies may have violated export restrictions. He said he had ``questions'' to some agencies over defence technology exports, above all to the Atomic Ministry, as well as to Rosaviaprom, which oversees aviation and space industry, and some student training and research institutes.

However, a senior National Security Council official said the proposed tightening of export control will not affect Russian nuclear supplies to India despite objections from the United States.

``We did our best to reassure our Indian colleagues that we saw no reason for halting nuclear fuel supplies: it is an absolutely clean contract as regards our international obligations,'' Mr. Nikolai Uspensky, head of the international security department of the National Security Council, said in an interview. He was referring to this week's Indo-Russian Security Council consultations in Moscow.

The meeting was called a few days after the U.S. Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, labelled Russia as an ``active proliferator'' of missile and nuclear technologies to such countries as Iran, Iraq and India. However, Russia has brushed off the charges as groundless. ``We thoroughly verify all American complaints but none of them has so far been substantiated,'' said Mr. Oleg Chernov, deputy chief of the Russian Security Council.

Mr. Putin acknowledged that proliferation of mass annihilation weapons and delivery means was ``one of the main international threats'' today as a number of countries were ``trying to get access to technologies of building their own nuclear weapons and missiles''.

At the same time the Russian leader stressed that export controls ``must become an instrument for protecting Russia's economic interests''.

Russia claims to have one of the world's most secure export control systems and by further tightening controls Moscow wants to cut the ground from under Western accusations that it is a source of illegal nuclear and missile technology exports.

``Russia is willing to conduct a concrete dialogue with NATO and the Council of Europe about non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons,'' Mr. Putin, said.

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