2nd RUSSIAN NUCLEAR NATIONAL DIALOGUE
on Nuclear Energy, Society, and Security

Pribaltiyskaya Hotel, Saint Petersburg, Russia
21-22 April 2008

Co-organized by Green Cross International, The Public Council of Rosatom, and The Russian Academy of Science

In Cooperation with The Stanley Foundation

Background
Today’s globalization and economic growth have led to an increased energy demand in most countries of the world. At the same time, the limited supply of energy sources has become more obvious. Traditional energy – fossil- and nuclear-based – has several visible shortcomings such as reliance on limited, non-renewable resources; negative and serious environmental challenges, including global warming and radwaste management; and risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism.

Concurrently, great progress has been made in the post-Cold War period in related areas – heightened security of nuclear materials and serious reductions in nuclear weapons stockpiles, largely through multilateral cooperation under the auspices of the G-8 Global Partnership.

The 1st Russian Nuclear National Dialogue (NND) meeting in Moscow on 18-19 April 20072 showed the enormous range of complex and unaddressed subjects in the Russian nuclear energy and security discussions and the difficulty for the diverse stakeholder groups to discuss these critical issues in a productive way. However, all parties acknowledged the need for more discussion, longer-term planning and consensus-building for safe and sustainable options, and that the 2007 Green Cross conference provided a unique platform to begin to address these challenges in a serious and transparent manner.

Based on the experience of the 1st NND, the 2nd NND on Monday and Tuesday, 21-22 April 2008, will focus on the following primary topics:

• Russia’s energy future, including nuclear, fossil, and alternative options;
• Nuclear legacies of the Cold War in Russia’s regions, including the Northwest and Far East;
• Security and proliferation risks of nuclear weapons, fissile materials, and related systems, including threat reduction and Global Partnership demilitarization and disarmament efforts.

Forum Goals
The aims of this Dialogue will be to stimulate discussion, provide greater transparency, and initiate a longer-term dialogue process to include all layers of society and national and international stakeholder groups about nuclear and radiation safety in the Russian Federation, about overcoming and dismantling the weapons and waste legacies of the Cold War, and on the prospects for safe and secure development of nuclear and alternative sources of energy in Russia.

The meeting will promote a better understanding amongst stakeholder groups of the many intertwined aspects of the civilian and military nuclear sectors and of their potential benefits and risks. It provides a unique platform to discuss across all stakeholder groups Russian energy and security issues, including legal, environmental, economic, technical, health, and social aspects; to define challenges ahead; to understand next steps needed for safe, timely, and environmentally sound nuclear demilitarization and disarmament; to provide updates on global efforts; and to consider the implementation of nuclear initiatives in the wider international context.

Forum participants
Participants will include representatives from Russian nuclear regions; federal ministries and agencies; Global Partnership countries assisting Russian nuclear demilitarisation efforts; Russian and foreign non-governmental organizations; academia; and mass media.

Format
The first day, April 21st, will focus on Russia’s plans for the development of nuclear energy, issues of nuclear wastes and nuclear safety, sustainable alternatives to nuclear energy, the avoidance of environmental and health impacts, and regional problems. The second day, April 22nd, will address the nuclear legacy of the Cold War, including environmental legacies, nuclear weapons demilitarization and disarmament, the G-8 Global Partnership’s nuclear assistance, as well as related non-proliferation and threat reduction issues.

Organizational information
Attendance is free; travel, visa, and accommodation are the responsibility of participants. For further information and to RSVP, please contact the following by 1 March 2008:

Global Green USA, tel. +1 (202) 222 07 00, fax +1 (202) 222 07 03, email pwalker@globalgreen.org or cion@globalgreen.org