U.S. House backs closer ties with Russia on nuclear materials
18/07/2007 13:12 WASHINGTON, July 18 (RIA Novosti) - The U.S. House of Representatives has approved expanding cooperation with Russia's nuclear authorities and Defense Ministry under a nuclear materials protection program.
The bill to increase spending for the Nuclear Material Protection Cooperation (MPC&A) program in Russia to over $127 million, which is $67 million more than the White House pressed for, has been included in the draft Department of Energy budget for 2008, backed Tuesday night by 312 votes against 112.
A commentary to the draft said the draft budget also earmarks an extra $15 million under a program for strategic missile forces to ensure the safe storage and transportation of nuclear warheads in Russia.
Total spending on all MPC&A projects in Russia and other former Soviet republics in 2008 has been fixed at just over $830 million, which is $460 million higher than what the Bush administration sought.
The document said the increase is a clear indication that the administration should switch issues of nuclear non-proliferation from the category of marginal security programs to the top-priority sector of the global war on terror.
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