Global Partnership

Support for Russian disarmament efforts

The G8’s “Global Partnership” initiative adopted at the 2002 summit in Kananaskis (Canada) helps reduce the risk of nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological proliferation. The initiative originally concentrated on the Russian Federation, but since 2008 it has been global in scope.

Its priorities are the destruction of chemical weapons, the disposal of Russian submarines and the safeguarding of fissile material. To that end a total of up to US$ 20 billion is to be spent by 2012. With a pledge of up to US$ 1.5 billion, Germany is the second largest contributor.

Other pledges were made by the US (US$ 10 billion), the EU (€ 1 billion), Italy (€ 1 billion), the UK (US$ 0.75 billion), France (€ 0.75 billion), Canada (US$ 0.65 billion) and Japan (US$ 0.2 billion). Russia intends to spend US$ 2 billion on destroying its chemical weapons and submarines. Other donors are Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Sweden and Switzerland.

Federal Foreign Office projects

The German Government’s projects in the fields of destroying chemical weapons and improving security at nuclear facilities are carried out by the Federal Foreign Office, while German assistance in destroying Russian nuclear submarines is supplied by the Federal Ministry of Economics. In the performance of its tasks the Federal Foreign Office is assisted by the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement, which acts as technical adviser.

1. German-Russian cooperation in the destruction of chemical weapons

For over ten years now Germany has been helping the Russian Federation to fulfil its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), i.e. to destroy its entire stocks of chemical weapons by April 2012. The partner on the Russian side is the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Completed projects

Gorny chemical weapons destruction plant, Saratov region (2002 to 2005): destruction of the entire stocks of 1142 tonnes of mustard gas and lewisite (skin blister agents).

German contributions:

• construction of tank- and barrel-emptying facilities,
• equipment of stationary and mobile laboratories,
• construction of an incineration plant for destroying liquid and solid agents.
  

Value of German contributions: approx. € 50 million.

Kambarka chemical weapons destruction plant, Republic of Udmurtia (2003-2006):

• planning and construction of a complete destruction facility for residuals, with buildings (including incineration line and waste-water treatment unit),
• and of a tank-emptying facility.

The plant was completed after three years of construction works on 1 March 2006, and Russia finally cleared the German equipment for operation on 20 March 2007. By March 2009 the entire stocks of over 6300 tonnes of chemical weapons had been destroyed. Value of German contributions: approx. € 150 million.

Current project

Pochep chemical weapons destruction plant, Bryansk region: destruction of some 7500 tonnes of the nerve gases Vx, Sarin and Soman, most of which is contained in more than 67,000 shells.

• Germany is providing up to € 142.7 million to fund the plant’s technological centrepiece: the construction of a massive incinerator for the destruction of chemical weapons and solid residuals, including the relevant operations centre,
• and the treatment of waste water.

The foundation stone was laid on 10 June 2008. Construction work on the Pochep plant, carried out by a German contractor, began in June 2009 and operations started in late 2010.

2. German-Russian cooperation to improve security at nuclear facilities

These measures focus on improving the protection of nuclear material in Russian facilities such as closed nuclear cities, research institutes and Ministry of Defence sites. The aim is to prevent fissile material falling into the hands of terrorist groups. The implementing organization for the German assistance is the Reactor Safety Association (GRS). Over the period 2003-2012 some € 167 million is earmarked for such measures. The Russian partners are the Federal Atomic Energy Authority (Rosatom) and the Ministry of Defence.

3. Support for disarmament efforts in countries other than the Russian Federation

A project to improve the physical protection of nuclear fissile material, to be implemented by 2012 and worth around € 6 million, has been agreed with Ukraine.

In 2009 the German Government pledged up to € 10 million from Global Partnership funds to implement measures under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Nuclear Security Plan.

Similar projects are being prepared with other countries.

Last updated 09.03.2011