TITLE XII--COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION WITH STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS

LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS ADOPTED

COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION WITH STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION (SECS. 1201-1209)

The budget request contained $400.0 million for cooperative threat reduction with states of the former Soviet Union, continuing the programs authorized under the Former Soviet Union Demilitarization Act of 1992 (title XVI of Public Law 102-484) and the Soviet Nuclear Threat Reduction Act of 1991 (title II of Public Law 102-228).

The House bill recommended the amount requested and contained findings (sec. 1202), program authorities (sec. 1203), and notification and reporting requirements (secs. 1205 and 1207) similar to those of the past two years. The House bill also contained a provision (sec. 1206) that would authorize $979.0 million from fiscal year 1993 defense accounts for assistance to the independent states of the former Soviet Union, the amount provided for such purposes from defense accounts in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1994.

The Senate amendment contained provisions (title XI) that, in addition to the provisions in sections 1202, 1203, 1205 and 1207 of the House bill, would authorize programs to house military personnel released from military service in connection with the basic purposes of the title. The Senate amendment contained no provision similar to section 1206 of the House bill.

The conferees agree to combine the provisions of the House bill and the Senate amendment. The conferees are pleased that, for the first time, the budget request included funding for cooperative threat reduction with states of the former Soviet Union. Previously, these programs were established and continued only at congressional initiative.

The conferees believe that the main focus of the programs authorized under this title must be on the dismantling and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The conferees agree that carefully measured programs for defense conversion, environmental restoration, and housing may be required in specific instances to accomplish these goals. At the same time, the conferees believe strongly that funds authorized under this title for conversion, environmental clean-up, and housing should be utilized only when essential to demilitarization, and only when no funds are available for such programs. In the case of environmental restoration and housing, the conferees insist that the Administration make every effort to draw upon $190.0 million appropriated for housing programs in support of troop withdrawals, and the $285.0 million appropriated to assist environmental restoration in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1994.

The conferees agree that prudent U.S. assistance in demilitarizing defense industries in the former Soviet Union is in U.S. national security interests, and have included a provision that would authorize a demilitarization enterprise fund to facilitate such assistance. The conferees request the Administration to make every effort to utilize funds available in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1994 and in the Freedom Support Act to assist defense conversion, which is vital to privatization, economic reform, and demilitarization.

The conferees urge the Administration to ensure that all aspects of U.S. assistance to the countries of the former Soviet Union are coordinated so that they are internally consistent, carefully prioritized, and mutually reinforcing. To this end, the conferees enjoin the Administration to coordinate the programs authorized under this title with all other relevant activities of the U.S. government.