25 February 2004 08:40
Britain may increase aid to Russia for WMD destruction
MOSCOW. Feb 25 (Interfax) - The UK may increase its financial assistance to Russia under programs for the destruction
of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), a British diplomat said on Wednesday.
Britain has pledged to allocate $750 million between 2002 and 2012 for WMD destruction under the Global Partnership
program, Simon Evans, first secretary of the British Embassy in Moscow, told Interfax.
Evans said the time in which the money will be released depends on the results of the first few projects and that the
sum could increase in a few years' time if the projects prove effective.
Britain is closely involved in the construction of a chemical weapons disposal facility in Shchuchye in the Kurgan
region. Evans said his country had built a water supply system there worth more than $3 million and a $14 million
project to build an electricity supply system for the facility is being put into practice.
Evans said Britain is holding intensive talks with the Russian Ammunition Agency on a British-Canadian plan to lay a
railroad to carry chemical weapons from their storage facilities to the destruction site in Shchuchye. Canada is to
allocate $30 million for the purpose and Britain is to provide management for the project.
For more details, see the Interfax-Military News Agency newswire. [RU EUROPE EEU EMRG AER AID ENV GB WEU] as tl
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