[House Document 108-171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

108th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 108-171

 
 REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC LAW 107-228 AUTHORITY FOR RUSSIAN 
             FEDERATION DEBT REDUCTION FOR NONPROLIFERATION

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

    A REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEBT REDUCTION AUTHORITY 
CONFERRED BY TITLE XIII, SUBTITLE B OF PUBLIC LAW 107-228, PURSUANT TO 
                       PUB. L. 107-228 SEC. 1321




    March 9, 2004.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
     Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
    Consistent with section 1321 of the Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228), I 
transmit herewith a report prepared by my Administration on 
implementation of the debt reduction authority conferred by 
title XIII, subtitle B of Public Law 107-228.

                                                    George W. Bush.
    The White House, March 8, 2004.
    Report to the Congress on Implementation of Public Law 107-228 
  Authority for Russian Federation Debt Reduction for Nonproliferation

    Section 1321 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
Fiscal Year 2003, Public Law 107-228, enacted on September 30, 
2002, requires annual reports to the Congress concerning 
actions taken to implement the debt reduction authority 
conferred in section 1314 on the President, to support projects 
in the Russian Federation promoting the nonproliferation of 
weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering such 
weapons.
    The United States has thus far not used the loan reduction 
agreement authority under Public Law 107-228 to fund any 
projects.
    Implementation issues affect the provisions of 
international nonproliferation and threat reduction assistance 
to Russia. The Administration was previously stated that we do 
not intend to pursue proposals linking nonproliferation and 
changes in Russian debt policy until such time as Russia 
resolves implementation issues impeding our assistance programs 
using funds appropriated under current accounts, and until our 
partners in the G-8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of 
Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction provide their part of 
the $20 billion over 10 years agreed under this initiative.
    Implementation issues include taxation, transparency, 
access, and, particularly, liability protections. The United 
States and other donor states believe it is important to 
resolve such issues with ongoing and planned international 
nonproliferation and threat reduction assistance, before 
beginning new areas of cooperation involving mechanisms such as 
debt reduction. These implementation issues are different from 
and unrelated to the problems and issues in Cooperative Threat 
Reduction certification.

                                
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