MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Director General of the Russian Ammunition Agency Viktor Kholstov and head of the G-8 program in the French Commissariat for Atomic Energy (CEA) Alain Mathiault met in Moscow on Friday to discuss prospects of Russian- French cooperation in chemical disarmament, the agency's press service told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"Participants in the meeting noted that elaboration of a Russian-French agreement on cooperation in the destruction of Russian chemical weapons stocks was in full swing. The draft agreement is to be ready in early March," a press service official said.
"I confirm officially that France will provide assistance to Russia in chemical weapons destruction," Mathiault said at the meeting. According to him, the mechanism of work on the Global Partnership Framework and the budget line for provision of the funds have been determined.
Kholstov noted that Russia received with satisfaction the French government's decision to cooperate in chemical weapons destruction. "We praise France's research potential. It is important for us that France will help us in such an important sphere as chemical weapons destruction. We hope that our cooperation will materialize in specific deeds and projects by 2005," he said.
According to Kholstov, Russia has suggested several projects to France. "The first meeting was held in September to consider them. The decision was made to consider the projects on the level of technical specialists. Such a meeting will be held in late February or early March. We must reach the level of practical actions as soon as possible, because the bulk of construction work at chemical weapons destruction complexes is scheduled for 2004 and 2005," Kholstov said.
Mathiault said that the French government instructed CEA to deal with nuclear and chemical spheres. "This is a state body that is authorized to work in this spheres. But we are planning to attract other competent bodies and organizations as well," he said.