SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING SAFE AND SECURE DISMANTLEMENT OF SOVIET NUCLEAR ARSENAL.

SEC. 1209. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING SAFE AND SECURE DISMANTLEMENT OF SOVIET NUCLEAR ARSENAL. (a) Findings.— Congress makes the following findings: (1) It is a pressing national security challenge for the United States to expedite the safe and secure dismantlement of the nuclear arsenal of the former Soviet Union. (2) In particular, it is essential to expedite the return of strategic nuclear warheads from Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan and to expedite the safe and secure dismantlement of the nuclear delivery vehicles of Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. (3) Leakage of nuclear materials and technology, and the continuing threat of emigration of scientists and technicians from the former Soviet nuclear weapons complex, pose a grave threat to United States national security and to international stability. 108 STAT. 2888 (4) Congress has authorized so-called “Nunn-Lugar” funds to enable the Department of Defense to carry out cooperative activities with states of the former Soviet Union to address the threats described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3). (b) Sense of Congress.— In light of the findings in subsection (a), it is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State should continue to give their serious attention to carrying out a coordinated strategy for addressing the urgent national security issues described in subsection (a); (2) the United States should expedite the availability and effective application of so-called “Nunn-Lugar” funds; (3) although activities conducted with those funds should, to the extent feasible, draw upon United States technology and expertise, the United States should work with local contractors in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine when doing so would expedite more effective use of those funds; and (4) efforts should be made to make the Science and Technology Centers in Moscow and Kiev, designed to slow the emigration of scientists and technicians from the former Soviet weapons complex, fully operational on an expedited basis.