U.S. Department of State

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The Report details the participants, meetings, progress, and activities of the working groups of the U.S.-Russia Presidential Commission, which was established by President Obama and President Medvedev in July 2009 and which is coordinated by Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Lavrov.

The Presidential Commission is broadening and deepening cooperation between the United States and Russia. Its mandate is broad and its agenda ambitious. Since its establishment last July, over 100 meetings and exchanges have taken place under the auspices of the Commission, bringing together over 60 Russian and United States government agencies, not to mention an increasing number of business and non-profit partners. The Commission has brought fresh faces and new issues to our bilateral agenda and has created new channels of cooperation to advance strategic stability, international security, our mutual economic well-being, and stronger ties between Russians and Americans.

Security cooperation is an important focus of the Commission. The new START treaty is an example of greater U.S.-Russia collaboration on the global issues we are facing today. The co-chairs of the Policy Steering Group have intensified consultation and coordination on the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs and on Middle East peace. New routes have been opened for the transit of personnel and equipment to support international efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. The Arms Control and International Security Working Group is examining cooperation on missile defense, developing ways to enhance stability and transparency, and jointly assessing 21^st century threats and challenges. Through the Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Security Working Group, we have carried out initiatives to secure and eliminate nuclear materials around the globe, and in April, we concluded an agreement on the Protocol to amend the 2000 Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement, which will dispose of enough weapons-grade plutonium for 17,000 nuclear warheads. We are also continuing to work with other nations to secure and eliminate excess stocks of proliferation sensitive nuclear materials worldwide. Joint activities are being conducted to promote the safe use of civilian nuclear power and to work toward entry into force of the Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.

In addition, the Counterterrorism and Counternarcotics Working Groups have generated closer collaboration on issues vital to our shared security. We have started sharing financial intelligence to fight illicit financial flows related to drug smuggling and our law enforcement agencies are conducting joint investigations to target regional drug traffickers along the Afghan northern distribution route. Cooperative measures are being undertaken to prevent terrorist attacks on our transportation systems, to launch a joint initiative within the G8 to assist victims of terrorism, and to counter the roots of violent extremism. The Military Cooperation Working Group is improving relations between our armed forces as illustrated by the inaugural participation of American forces in Victory Day festivities in Red Square and the June docking of the Russian Pacific Fleet’s flag ship in San Francisco. In addition to cooperation in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, our armed forces are planning a counterterrorism exercise involving an aircraft hijacking scenario.

Beyond the security arena, we recognize that both our countries can each play a vital role in this century as engines of sustainable growth and centers of innovative thinking. The Innovation Dialogue, which bridges several Commission working groups, has established ties among high-tech industries, venture capitalists, scientific institutions, and idea-makers to promote innovation-based entrepreneurship across economic sectors and to utilize communication technologies to improve educational, cultural, and public health services.

The Business Development and Economic Relations Working Group is addressing ways to remove barriers to trade and developing measures to encourage investment, strengthen intellectual property protection, and facilitate the development of small business in both countries. Working Groups on Energy and Science and Technology have brought together government experts, academics, and businessmen to advance cooperation on energy efficiency, the development of low carbon fuels and climate science, e-government, and nanotechnology. New pilot projects on cutting-edge “smart grid” technology will help stimulate greater economic growth as well as help us address climate change. The positive momentum generated by the Commission’s activities in these areas is stimulating the growth in Russian-American economic ties and creating thousands of jobs in both countries.

The Commission is also bolstering joint efforts to safeguard the health of our people and our planet. Key achievements of the Health Working Group include the launching of a Health Science Forum to promote joint biomedical research and the completion of more than a dozen medical professional and research exchanges related to HIV/AIDS research, maternal and child health, and healthy lifestyles best practices. Under the auspices of the Environment and Agriculture Working Groups, we are collaborating on environmental issues in the Arctic and supporting tiger, polar bear, and other wildlife conservation efforts. We are also cooperating on water quality and hazardous sites clean-up. Building on more than 50 years of cooperation, our forest service agencies have also enhanced efforts to sustainably manage forests and stop illegal logging. Combined efforts in Haiti and Russia’s offer of assistance in the Gulf of Mexico show that we are strengthening our capacity to respond to disasters and crises under the Emergency Situations Working Group. American and Russian space agencies interact regularly in the Space Cooperation Working Group, including on shared use of the International Space Station, and they are discussing potential projects to expand cooperation in space exploration.

Finally, the Commission has achieved remarkable success in broadening the contacts between American and Russian citizens. For example, the Education, Culture, and Sports Working Group has launched new exchange initiatives and nearly doubled the number of partnerships between American and Russian universities. In May, the group completed its first youth basketball exchange in the United States; over the next several months, exchanges in swimming, volleyball, and youth hockey will take place in the U.S. and Russia. Cultural exchanges have also expanded, supporting over 40 cultural events in the U.S. and Russia, and steps are being taken to protect common cultural heritage, including the Fort Ross historical landmark in California. The Civil Society Working Group has opened an unprecedented dialogue between our governments and among Russian and American non-governmental organizations on issues of common concern, including fighting corruption and the exploitation and trafficking of children in addition to prison reform and migration issues. Taken together, these efforts are making a difference. Opinion polls show that Russians and Americans already have more positive attitudes towards each other’s country.

Looking ahead over the next twelve months, we recommend an expansion of the Commission’s mandate to include a new working group on intelligence issues to strengthen our common security. We also agree to redouble our efforts to realize the unmet potential of our economic and trade relations. In this regard, we recommend the Commission devote greater attention to the development of joint activities to help increase our capacities for creativity and dynamism, facilitate innovation-based entrepreneurship, and advance our mutual prosperity and well-being.

Dates Group Convened:

Progress/Deliverables:

• Commission Coordinators agreed to Commission Mission Statement and Terms of Reference in October 2009.

• In December 2009, Commission Coordinators issued a joint statement on the mid-year progress of Commission Working Groups.

• In April 2010, Commission Coordinators reported to Presidents on Commission progress.

• In June 2010, Commission Coordinators issued a Joint Report to the Presidents on the 2009-2010 Results of the Commission.

Steering Group:
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns and
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov

Inter-Agency Participants:

Dates Group Convened:

Progress/Deliverables:

Group co-chairs met frequently to discuss the activity of the Presidential Commission, including revitalization of cooperation in areas related to innovation and concrete bilateral projects aimed at strengthening our economic ties. They discussed key strategic issues, including updates on negotiations in Geneva on the new treaty on reduction of strategic nuclear weapons. They also discussed the Iranian nuclear program, including possible settlement steps that may be taken by the “P5+1,” and the new United Nations Security Council resolution on Iran. Among other issues, group co-chairs discussed joint efforts on regional security issues such as Afghanistan; North Korea’s nuclear program; and the Middle East peace process. In addition to meetings, co-Chairs stayed in regular contact by phone to ensure effective operation of the working groups.

Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Security:
Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom” Director General, Sergey Kiriyenko and
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

The first meeting of the Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Security Working Group of the bilateral Russian-U.S. Presidential Commission was held in Washington on September 28-29, 2009.

At that meeting the first Action Plan for the Working Group was adopted, which provides for implementation of the provisions of the Joint Statement by the Russian and U.S. Presidents on Nuclear Cooperation of July 6, 2009, in the following 13 areas: nuclear materials accounting, control, and physical protection; return of nuclear fuel; conversion of reactors; consolidation and conversion of nuclear materials; plutonium disposition; combating trafficking of nuclear materials; international safeguards system; export control; ceasing production of weapons-grade plutonium; emergency response; the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism; bilateral cooperation between Russia and the U.S. in the field of civil nuclear energy; and the international structure of cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy.

The Action Plan, including the report on the results of the work accomplished, was agreed by all interested agencies and on October 21, 2009, and was sent to the President of Russia and the U.S., respectively.

According to the agreement with the U.S. side, every six months the Working Group will prepare another Action Plan, including a report on the results of the work accomplished.

On March 6, 2010, representatives from the U.S., Russia, and the IAEA participated in a presentation and discussion on “The Political and Technical dimensions of Strengthening IAEA Safeguards,” as part of the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference 2010. This conference provided a forum to promote joint understanding and dialogue on challenges to the Safeguards regime -- one of the preliminary Action Plan activities of the Nuclear Energy/Nuclear Security Safeguards sub-working group.

On March 8, 2010, a meeting between Sergey Kiriyenko and Daniel Poneman was held on the margins of the Paris International Conference on Access of Developing Countries to Civil Nuclear Energy; at that meeting agreement was reached on the agenda for the near term. Some of the measures have already been carried out.

On March 18, 2010, a meeting of the coordinators of the Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Security Working Group was held at Rosatom State Corporation. At the meeting the results of implementation of the Working Group’s first Plan were analyzed and the second Action Plan, including a report on the work accomplished, was developed and agreed upon.

On April 13, 2010, within the framework of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, Commission Coordinators, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, signed the Protocol to the Russian-U.S. intergovernmental Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement. In addition, during preparation of the Protocol, the document entitled “Key Elements of Monitoring and Inspections” was adopted for practical implementation of the Protocol.

On April 15, 2010, the last weapons-grade plutonium production reactor was shut down in Zheleznogorsk.

On April 25-29, 2010, there was a meeting of the Joint Coordinating Committee for implementation of the Russian-U.S. intergovernmental Agreement regarding cooperation in the area of accounting, control and physical protection of nuclear materials, as well as forensics; based on the results of that meeting, a record was signed reflecting the results achieved and the areas for further cooperation, including a decision to incorporate nuclear forensics cooperation under the intergovernmental Agreement subject to Russian interagency concurrence.

On May 10, 2010, the first meeting of the Working Subgroup on Civil Nuclear Energy was held; based on the results of that meeting a report to Working Group Co-chairs Kiriyenko and Poneman is being prepared.

On 10 May 2010, President Obama approved and transmitted the text of the proposed 123 Agreement for review by the U.S. Congress.

Agenda for Future:

• Early June 2010 –Visit to the U.S. by a delegation from Rosatom State Corporation on issues regarding physical protection of nuclear facilities;

• June 2010 – U.S. side submits nuclear forensics cooperation proposals to Rosatom State Corporation for consideration by Russian interagency;

• By September 2010 – Start up the Zheleznogorsk Thermal Power Plant, with U.S. assistance, to supply the city with heat and electricity in place of the shutdown reactor;

• By October 2010 host in Obninsk, Russia, an IAEA joint State System of Accounting and Control (SSAC) training for third countries as noted in the objectives of the Nuclear Energy/Nuclear Security Safeguards sub-working group.

• 2nd Half of 2010 – Hold full meeting of the Working Group; prepare Implementing Agreement on feasibility studies of the possibility of converting six Russian research reactors; prepare Implementing Agreements and hold consultations with the IAEA on issues regarding implementation of the Protocol to the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement; prepare a document for the Nuclear Suppliers Group, based on Rosatom State Corporation guidelines, which summarizes Russian-U.S. best practices in the field of export control; continue joint program for removal by Russia and the U.S. of nuclear fuel of Russian and U.S. origin, respectively, from third countries.

Arms Control and International Security:
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Ellen Tauscher and
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

The Working Group agenda includes arms control and disarmament, missile defense cooperation, cooperation on non-proliferation, European security and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, and joint assessment of ballistic missile threats/challenges. U.S. and Russian experts met to address a joint assessment of ballistic missile threats/challenges in Moscow in July 2009, in Washington in December 2009, and in Moscow in May 2010.

Agenda for Future:

The Working Group will discuss ways to promote strategic stability and a more transparent strategic relationship.

Counter Narcotics/Drug Trafficking:
Russian Federal Drug Enforcement Service Director Viktor Ivanov and
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske

Inter-Agency Participants:

Dates Groups Convened:

Deliverables/Progress

• Drug Addiction Treatment and Prevention: In February 2010, U.S. and Russian officials visited the V.P. Serbsky State Research Center of Social and Forensic Psychiatry in Moscow to discuss drug addiction prevention and treatment methods. In May 2010, a Russian interagency delegation of experts and senior officials visited Miami, New York and Washington, D.C., to study the U.S. Drug Court system, including visiting treatment centers and other social service providers involved in drug court programs. They also met with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of State officials. In June 2010, a group of Russian health experts traveled to the U.S. to discuss different approaches for drug addiction treatment and the links between drug addiction and HIV prevention. The Russian delegation, which included several representatives from federal substance abuse services, met with their counterparts from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, USAID and also visited drug treatment sites in three U.S. cities.

• Law Enforcement Cooperation: ONDCP, the FSKN, and other Russian law enforcement services have launched numerous joint investigations into organized drug trafficking organizations on the Northern Route in Afghanistan. In addition, work is underway on other criminal groups involved in cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe and the Russian Federation. In February 2010, DEA and Russian law enforcement officials participated in a Diversion Investigator Training Seminar in Moscow to discuss precursor control initiatives and joint investigations. In April 2010, taking advantage of the momentum of the Working Group, DEA Administrator Leonhart and FSKN Deputy Director Aulov agreed to form a sub-working group with participation from the governments of Afghanistan and Tajikistan under the auspices of the International Drug Enforcement Conference to combat organized drug trafficking along the Northern Route in Afghanistan. The group met in May 2010 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and shared intelligence on drug traffickers in the region.

• Financial Intelligence Sharing: A meeting took place in December 2009 between Rosfinmonitoring and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s FinCen. Cooperation between Rosfinmonitoring and FinCen focuses on continued financial intelligence information sharing, as well as targeted efforts to counter illicit financing, in pursuit of shared counternarcotics trafficking and counterterrorism objectives in Afghanistan and Central Asia. U.S. and Russian drug enforcement counterparts are collecting information for the purposes of conducting a joint mapping exercise. In February 2010, Russia provided information on the Hawala informal financial network that has been used for laundering proceeds from heroin trafficking and providing funds to the Taliban and Afghan warlords. The U.S. Department of the Treasury has shared information with Russian counterparts on Central Asian targets being reviewed for potential designation under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Rosfinmonitoring has also shared with the U.S. Treasury additional information on suspicious financial transactions related to Afghan drug trafficking.

Agenda for Future:

• Continue to expand U.S.-Russian cooperation on Afghanistan counternarcotics issues, with an increased emphasis on interdiction of delivery channels, stemming the flow of precursor chemicals, enhanced information sharing, and reducing illicit financial flows linked to the regional drug trade.

Counterterrorism:
U.S. Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, and
Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on International Cooperation on Counterterrorism and Transnational Organized Crime, Anatoliy Safonov

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

• Transportation Security: In view of current terror threats, enhancing cooperation in the area of transportation security, including air transport, was recognized by the Working Group as a priority objective. In November/December 2009, Russia’s Federal Security Service hosted U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service representatives at its training facility in Moscow. In May 2010, during the working group meeting, Russia and the United States agreed to cooperate on a number of measures directed toward strengthening air security. Russian and U.S. officials visited various transportation infrastructure sites to discuss best practices. In June 2010, Intensive expert negotiations were conducted on a draft Memorandum of Understanding on aviation security and also on the issue of placing air marshals on flights between our countries.

• Countering Violent Extremism: The United States and Russia acknowledged that the issue of countering violent extremism requires additional efforts and more active collaboration. Agreement was reached on the regular exchange of information, including in relation to Europe and Central Asia. The sides agreed to place the main focus on the issues of countering radical attitudes that lead to violence, primarily among younger populations. The sides also agreed to focus on multilateral efforts to counter violent extremism. In May 2010, Ambassador Safonov led a discussion with U.S. and Russian counterterrorism experts and media at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington on U.S.-Russian counterterrorism cooperation, including on countering violent extremism. Ambassadors Benjamin and Safonov also agreed to hold an experts meeting on countering violent extremism later in the year.

• Multilateral Cooperation: The United States and Russia agreed on the need to strengthen the multilateral counterterrorism umbrella and to continue to enhance their cooperation on counterterrorism at the United Nations (UN), including in the lead-up to the General Assembly’s September review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Security Council’s December review of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED). It was decided to strengthen U.S.-Russia cooperation on counterterrorism within the context of the G8. In May 2010, Russia and the United States reached agreement on a joint statement on counterterrorism by G-8 leaders and on a joint initiative to assist victims/survivors of terrorism. It was also decided to work more closely together on counterterrorism issues within the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

• Law Enforcement and Security Services Cooperation. The United States and Russia have agreed on the need for an additional forum for dialogue between security and law enforcement agencies on antiterrorism issues. The parties substantively examined issues related to the manufacture, identification, and disposal of improvised explosive devices. The parties also confirmed their mutual interest in expanding cooperation on bilateral legal assistance in criminal cases and identify continuing contacts between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office on counterterrorism issues.

Agenda for Future:

• Transportation and Infrastructure Security

• Countering Violent Extremism

• Law Enforcement and Special Services Cooperation

• Countering Terrorism Financing

• Multilateral Cooperation

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

• In 2009, the U.S. and Russian militaries successfully executed 10 out of the 17 military-to-military events scheduled; the 2010 work plan contains 50 events on issues related to collaboration between the U.S. and Russian senior military personnel, counterterrorism, missile defense, naval search and rescue, crisis management, joint exercises and training, and joint training of experts.

• Since July 2009, four rounds of talks have been held between Admiral Michael Mullen and General Nikolay Makarov, to discuss key aspects of collaboration between the U.S. and Russian militaries. A channel for operational interoperability has been set up through telephone contacts between Admiral Mullen and Army General Makarov.

• In April 2010, a Working Group meeting co-chaired by Admiral Mullen and General Makarov was held in the United States. During the meeting the parties discussed the status and potential developments in the world, possible directions for expanding cooperation between the armed forces of the U.S. and Russia, issues of tactical nuclear weapons, the situation in and around Afghanistan, including transit of goods through the territory of Russia and Russian weapons deliveries to Afghanistan, collaboration with NATO, and missile defense. Under the auspices of this Working Group subgroups were formed in the following focal areas: Afghanistan, Pakistan, counterterrorism, assessment of missile threats, missile defense, and military cooperation.

• In April and June 2010, the U.S. and Russian militaries had planning conferences for staff exercises designed to improve coordination in aircraft hijacking situations. Russian and American naval ships regularly collaborate in counter-piracy operations in the Horn of Africa.

• In May 2010, the US naval vessels USS Kauffman and the USS Blue Ridge visited Russian ports in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok. In June 2010, the Russian Navy cruiser Varyag docked in San Francisco.

Agenda for Future:

• Planned meetings of focal subgroups:

  • In June 2010 – the subgroup on counterterrorism shall coordinate the text of the U.S.-Russian counterterrorism agreement;

  • Sub-group on missile defense shall determine the specific collaboration activities and sharing by the U.S. of information about plans and features of missile defense systems.

• In July 2010 – Meetings of the Working Group on planning U.S.-Russian military cooperation in 2011 and of the Sub-group on Afghanistan/Pakistan will be held.

• A further round of Staff Talks is planned for Fall 2010.

Emergency Situations:
Russian Minister for Emergency Situations Sergey Shoigu and
U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate

Inter-Agency Participants:

Dates Groups Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

Cooperation between FEMA and EMERCOM is longstanding, and is founded uponthe July 1996 Memorandum of Understanding between the United States andRussian Federationon cooperation in natural and man-made emergency prevention and response and on June 2007 Addendum to this Memorandum.

• Urban Search and Rescue: In 2009-2010, officials from FEMA, EMERCOM, USAID and other agencies engaged in numerous meetings and exchanges with the aim of strengthening the capacity of rescue teams in U.S. and Russia, improving coordination of joint activities during international search and rescue operations, and exchanging experience in the areas of national and international certification of rescue task forces. These joint activities led to the U.S.-Russia Tabletop Exercise on Earthquake Urban Search and Rescue held May 23-26, 2010 in the city of Zhukovskiy. The tabletop exercise covered the entire international response cycle: preliminary information gathering and identification of the necessary response format, disaster response team transfer to the site, different types of rescue operations, technical and medical support of operations, coordination with local authorities and international organizations, and removal of response teams from the disaster zone. This exercise permitted the comparison of U.S. and Russian methods of rescue operations in order to improve the countries’ respective rescue services as well as improvement in existing international response practices. Additionally, FEMA and EMERCOM specialists discussed the issue of certification of fire-fighters and rescue teams and also actions undertaken by the Russian rescue task force for the alleviation of the manmade disaster at Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro-power station in 2009.

  In April 2010, EMERCOM officials, including members of the Northwest Region Search and Rescue Unit and its International Disaster Response team, traveled to Washington and shared best practices with representatives from FEMA, the National Emergency Training Center, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Virginia Task Force 1, the U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Operations, the American Red Cross, and the George Washington University Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management. This visit was also an opportunity for members of the U.S. and Russian teams involved in responding to the 2010 disaster in Haiti to review lessons learned and to discuss U.S.-Russia disaster response coordination.

• International Disaster Response and Relief: The U.S and Russia play an important role in delivering food and humanitarian aid worldwide. Over the last decade, Russia has re-emerged as a donor state and in addition to its bilateral participation in international humanitarian and rescue operations through EMERCOM, is providing financial support and implementation of humanitarian projects through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Civic Defense Organization, and other multilateral organizations, and is also funding a U.N. Central Emergency Response Unit. EMERCOM and USAID jointly sponsored a workshop in May 2010 in Moscow on International Humanitarian and Food Aid (Complex Emergency Response) with the participation of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and others. Participants discussed questions connected with providing humanitarian and food aid, including the methods of delivery, interaction with international and non-governmental organizations, purchasing methods and standards for goods supplied as international humanitarian assistance, and also on strategies to transition from providing emergency disaster relief to restoration and development activities. In addition, American and Russian partners examined in detail their efforts in providing aid to alleviate the consequences of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, and concluded that active U.S. and Russia cooperation in food and humanitarian programs creates a platform for the development and implementation of joint humanitarian projects in the third countries.

• Coordination of Joint Work: On May 27, EMERCOM hosted the 14^th Annual Meeting of the Joint U.S.-Russia Committee on Cooperation in Emergency Management at its National Crisis Management Center in Moscow, which was co-chaired by EMERCOM and FEMA. The purpose of these annual sessions is to review workplan results and to plan the next year’s activities. The principal outcomes of the meeting were the adoption of the 2010-2012 Work Plan for U.S.-Russia Cooperation in Emergency Management (by EMERCOM, FEMA and USAID), which provides for the continuation of close collaboration allowing for the development and improvement of national capabilities in the area of emergency management response.

Agenda for Future:

Based upon the results of the 14^th session of the Joint Committee, the parties determined a number of priority areas for future cooperation, including:

• Exchange best practices in “mass event planning” to better ensure public safety at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

• Continue exchange programs between rescue services, emphasizing training methods for rescuers and equipment of staging areas;

• Expand cooperation in areas of disaster monitoring and prognosis, including the U.S. Geological Survey.

• Plan and implement joint humanitarian operation to provide food aid to a country in Central-Asia;

• Exchange experience on the creation, functioning and the development of national emergency management systems.

• Continue to develop cooperation between Russian and American regional emergency response organizations.

• Exchange best practices in fire-extinguishing technology.

• Improve operational information exchanges during planned humanitarian and disaster response efforts in third countries.

• Exchange best practices in the functioning of emergency operations centers, at the local, regional and national levels.

• Exchange best practices in addressing the needs of children in emergency situations.

• Exchange concepts and information on building disaster resistant communities and community resiliency.

• Exchange best practices in Mass Transit Emergency Events.

• Exchange best practices in medical aspects of emergency response.

Business Development and Economic Relations:
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and
Russian Federation Minister for Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

In March 2010, MED and Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the structure and operations of the Working Group and adopted a work plan for 2010. Among the work priorities identified are: (1) economic efficiency, conservation of resources, and modernization of production capabilities; (2) support for innovation; (3) export control; (4) the climate for developing trade and investment; (5) visa and work permit issues facing businesses; (6) training of managerial personnel; (7) customs cooperation; (8) development of small and medium-sized business; (9) temporary market access barriers; (10) developing cooperation in the field of antimonopoly policy; (11) new forms of cooperation in such priority sectors as health care, aerospace and information technologies.

• Recognizing Russian Account Depositories as “Eligible Foreign Depositories”: With the participation of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Russian Federation Ministry of Economic Development, consultations were initiated between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Association of Global Custodians of the U.S., and the Bank of Russia regarding criteria for “eligible foreign depositories” in accordance with SEC Rule 17f-7.

• Trade/Investment: In February 2010, the director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Invest in America program Aaron Brickman visited Moscow to discuss U.S. efforts to attract foreign direct investment to the United States and to address Russian investor concerns about the U.S. market. In April 2010, at a Working Group meeting chaired by Secretary Locke and Minister Nabiullina, a Memorandum of Intent on promoting foreign direct investment in the U.S. and Russia was signed that provides, in particular, that the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce will act as ombudsmen or points of contact for current and potential investors from both countries. In May, Rusnano and the American Association of Russian Speaking Business Professionals sponsored a delegation of Silicon Valley venture capital fund directors to Moscow. A business mission of U.S. aerospace companies to Russia is planned for October 2010.

• Export Controls: In February 2010, an interagency Russian delegation met with officials from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security in Washington to discuss best practices in preventing the illegal export of sensitive technology. Working contact has been established between the Russian Federation Ministry of Industry and Trade and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

• Energy Efficiency: In May 2010, the Commerce Department collaborated with the Energy Department and the Energy Working Group to organize a roundtable with U.S. business representatives in Washington, D.C. for visiting Russian delegates to an energy efficiency forum.

• Small Business: At the Coordinator’s Working Group meeting in Moscow in March 2010, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) signed a Memorandum with the Russian Ministry of Economic Development on cooperation in the area of small and medium-sized business. The Parties are organizing a subgroup in the area of small and medium-sized business and have begun implementation of its action plan for 2010-2012.

• Training of Managerial Personnel: During the meeting of the Working Group in April 2010, the parties agreed to step up consultations that had already begun on an intergovernmental memorandum on training managerial personnel.

• Competition Policy: In November of 2009, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission concluded a Memorandum of Understanding on Antitrust Cooperation under which a Workplan on cooperative activities was signed in April 2010.

• Innovation: In January 2010, Secretary Locke met with a high-level Russian public-private sector delegation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to assess how public-sector and private-sector entities cooperate in the development and commercialization of new technologies.

Agenda for Future:

• Hold sector-specific and regional seminars on economic efficiency, resource conservation, modernization of production and technology cooperation with the participation of Russian and U.S. companies, including representatives of the financial sector;

• Identify contact persons on innovation cooperation and develop a “pool” of innovative initiatives in the realm of high technology to promote opportunities for cooperation between Russian and U.S. high-tech and innovative companies.

• Consult on matters including:
  • options to develop possible new frameworks to solidify a mature bilateral economic relationship;

  • concluding an intergovernmental memorandum on training of managerial personnel;

  • investment projects in the area of energy efficiency proposed by Sberbank of Russia.

• Conduct consultations with representatives of respective business communities on simplification of visas and work permit procedures for employees of American and Russian companies.

• Facilitate further collaboration between the Russian Federal Customs Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to promote efficiency improvements in bilateral trade.

• Develop contacts between each side’s small business development agencies and small business associations through participation in events in the United States (August 2010) and in Russia.

• Develop measures for stimulating mutual investments in priority sectors.

• Discuss temporary market access barriers;

• Share experience and develop contacts on public procurement practices.

Energy:
Russian Federation Minister of Energy Sergey Shmatko and
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

In October 2009, during their meeting in Paris, Working Group co-chairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation on Energy, which provided an overall framework for cooperation in the Working Group.

• Energy Efficiency: On May 12-13 2010, the first meeting of the Sub-Working Group on energy efficiency was held in Washington, D.C. The co-chairs of the Sub-Working Group, Director of the Department for National Energy Policy and Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Energy of Russia S.A. Mikhaylov and DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency Kathleen Hogan, approved an action plan to develop cooperation in the following areas: enhancement in the efficiencies and reliability of transmission and distribution of power; development of a financial framework to spur investment in energy efficiency projects; implementation of an advanced energy efficiency management system at the federal and municipal levels; improvement in corporate governance in the electric power industry; reduction of emissions of associated gas in upstream production; reduction of coal-bed methane emissions; modernization of construction practices; and collaboration on green buildings design. Also in May 2010, the Energy Working Group, the Business Development and Economic Relations Working Group, and the U.S.-Russia Business Council convened a business roundtable in Washington to explore the prospects for commercial cooperation and identify joint projects with the participation of U.S. and Russian companies. The Russian delegation also visited the U.S. Green Building Council to discuss energy efficient building materials and technologies and toured its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified headquarters building.

• Clean Energy Innovation Technologies: The U.S. and Russian sides have identified responsible individuals to advance cooperation in the clean energy technologies Sub-Group. In June 2010, sub-group co-chairs Academician V.E. Fortov, Secretary of the Department of the Power Industry, Machine-Building, Mechanics, and Control Processes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and William Brinkman, Director of the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy, held a meetings via video conference and agreed to develop a work plan outlining the prospects for cooperation in six areas: biofuels, obtaining fuels from solar energy, new materials (as applied to high-temperature and thermonuclear reactors), smart grids, hydrogen energy, and modeling and forecasting the development of clean energy technologies. This meeting will be followed up by meetings of experts to develop an action plan.

• Energy Security: In March 2010, sub-Working Group co-chairs, Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Security Morningstar and Deputy Minister of Energy Kudryashov, held a video conference and agreed on the topics to be addressed by the Sub-Group. A meeting of the Sub-Working Group, took place in Washington on May 26-27, 2010. Three key topics were discussed: key trends and future outlook for world markets for energy resources, energy resource delivery routes and capabilities, and possibilities for investment in the Russian and U.S. energy sectors. They also visited the Barnett shale gas deposit at the invitation of ConocoPhillips.

Agenda for Future:

• Identify and facilitate promising projects for joint implementation in the field of energy efficiency.

• Develop and implement regular energy efficiency consultations and conferences for the purpose of attracting investment and promoting innovation in energy efficiency in the U.S. and Russian economies.

• Discuss issues of pressing importance for ensuring global energy security.

• Establish business-to-business contacts for implementation of joint projects in the field of clean energy innovation technologies.

• Convene a public-private investment conference to examine ways to increase U.S. investment in the Russian energy sector and Russian investment in U.S.

Environment Working Group:
Russian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Igor Maydanov and
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Maria Otero

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

• Protected Areas: Working with regional and national park service authorities, U.S. and Russian officials have advanced efforts to protect our shared heritage and environment in the Bering Strait region. The National Park Service’s Shared Beringian Heritage Program is increasing cross-border understanding and cooperative scientific research, including in the area of environmental protection.

• Hazardous Materials and Ozone-Safe Inhalers: U.S. and Russian environment officials planned two exchange visits in September 2010: a Russian delegation to the United States to exchange best practices on hazardous site cleanup issues, based on the U.S. experience with the Superfund program, and a U.S. delegation to Russia to share experience on the transition to ozone-safe metered-dose inhalers in United States.

• Climate Change/Arctic Research: The United States and Russia are working together in the Arctic Council on issues related to black carbon. NOAA continues to collaborate with Roshydromet on the Tiksi climate observatory on the Arctic coast to develop joint monitoring of radiation fluctuations impinging on the earth's surface, as well as levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

• Wildlife Protection: In September 2009, Russia hosted the first meeting of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Polar Bear Commission. In March 2010, the Commission's Scientific Working Group met for the first time in Anchorage, Alaska, and proposed two alternative short-term management options for sustaining the Alaska-Chukotka polar bear population. In June 2010, the commission met again in Anchorage and adopted an annual harvest limits to be shared between Alaskan and Chukotkan indigenous peoples.

Agenda for the Future:

• Protected Areas, including the establishment of a Shared Heritage Area in Beringia

• Sharing experience on Superfund.

• Black Carbon

• GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) Program

• Ozone Depleting Substances

• Wildlife Protection/biodiversity

• Water resource use and protection

Agriculture:
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack and
Russian Federation Minister of Agriculture Elena Skrynnik

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

• Agricultural Cooperation: In September 2009, members of Russia’s Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS), headed by its Chief Veterinary Officer, visited Washington D.C. In December 2009, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Russia’s VPSS prepared and came to an agreement on a veterinary certificate for the export of sheep and goats from the United States to Russia. In March 2010 an agreement on a new veterinary certificate for pork and pork by-products exported from the United States to Russia was reached between Russia’s VPSS and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service in accordance with Russian veterinary and sanitary requirements. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in collaboration with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service also developed an Export Verification program whose U.S. participants are allowed to export pork products to the Russian market.

• Agricultural Exchanges: In September-October 2009, with support of the Agriculture Working Group, the Holstein Cattle Association USA hosted a group of Russian farmers on the margins of the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin to share information on U.S. dairy herd management. In December 2009, Livestock Genetics Export Inc. provided Russian buyers with a tour through Colorado and Wyoming to learn about U.S. methods of beef herd management. A Letter of Intent containing proposals for further cooperation and sales with Russian companies is expected to be finalized at Holstein’s annual meeting in June 2010 in Minnesota.

• Forestry: In December 2009, at a meeting in Washington D.C., the USFS and RFFA signed a renewed Protocol of Intent, which provides a framework for bilateral cooperation on forest management, including protection from wildfire, enhancing regulation to meet market requirements, and climate change. Since July 2009, the USFS and RFFA have supported joint-training of U.S. and Russian experts in forest fire prevention and suppression, research on wildfire behavior and atmospheric emissions, evaluation of risk from forest pests, and the investigation of such important issues as forest certification and the role of forests in global climate change. In June 2010, USFS and USAID specialists will participate in an international conference on trans-boundary wildfire management sponsored by RFFA and held in Irkutsk, Russia. In June 2010, USFS and RFFA will sign a work plan outlining concrete collaborative activities to take place in 2010-2012. Priority topics of cooperation are climate change and its consequences for forest management, enhancing regulation to meet market requirements, fire suppression, inventory and monitoring, and forest certification.

Agenda for Future:

• Chairs Secretary Vilsack and Minister Skrynnik will hold a meeting of the full Working Group.

• USDA and the Ministry of Agriculture will seek to identify sources of funding to expand cooperation on aquaculture and fish diseases.

• The U.S. Forest Service and Russian Federal Forestry Agency will develop workshops that address the areas of cooperation (climate change, enhancing regulation to meet market requirements, fire suppression, inventory and monitoring, and forest certification) agreed upon in the work plan.

• The U.S. Government will host representatives from the Russian Federal and Regional Governments for a three-week program in August in the United States focusing on national food assistance and social nutrition programs.

Health:
Russian Minister of Health and Social Development Tatyana Golikova and
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

• Scientific Collaboration: In October 2009, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Russian MOHSD co-sponsored an HIV Prevention Workshop during the Regional HIV/AIDS Conference. In November 2009, the NIH, National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Institute of Medicine signed a Statement of Intent with RAMS to create a Health Science Forum to facilitate joint biomedical research between public and private sector organizations. In April 2010, U.S. and Russian medical research agencies formed a Joint Working Group on HIV Prevention Research. In May, the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) and RAMS sponsored a joint workshop on combating multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis.

• Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: In November 2009, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Russian Minister for Transportation Igor Levitin and U.S. and Russian health officials discussed transportation safety on the margins of the International Road Safety Conference held in Moscow. In February 2010, the Director of the RAMS Institute of Nutrition visited Washington to discuss the link between nutrition, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. In April 2010, with support of the Working Group, a Russian delegation traveled to New York and Rhode Island to meet with U.S. health officials and non-governmental organizations on social-medical support for substance abuse treatment and HIV prevention. In July 2010, a delegation of U.S. health experts will travel to Moscow to foster an exchange of best practices between US and Russian experts on cardiovascular diseases.

• Maternal and Child Health: In October 2009, Russian and American health experts from the federal and regional levels exchanged views on neonatal care of premature newborns. In December 2009, the President-elect of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) traveled to Moscow and met with senior health officials and in May 2010, Russia sent 15 experts to participate in the ACOG Congress in California. In May 2010, U.S. and Russian health experts shared experience on the organization of quality maternal and child health care at the launch of the new MOHSD perinatal center in Tver Oblast. In June 2010, the head of the V.I. Kulakov Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Dr. Gennadiy Sukhikh visited Washington, D.C. to discuss fostering priority maternal health practices critical for reducing maternal and infant mortality in both countries. In June, U.S. and Russia counterparts agreed, through the U.S.-Russia Innovation Dialogue, to develop health information services initiatives in Russia.

Agenda for Future:

• Enhance engagement as provided under the workplan in the areas of healthy lifestyles promotion, maternal and child health protection, and scientific collaboration.

• Develop communication channels and joint activities with U.S. and Russian civil society representatives particularly in the areas of healthy lifestyles promotion and maternal and child health protection.

• Explore new opportunities for collaboration in other areas identified in the July 2009 Memorandum of Understanding, including sharing experiences on global health and medical response to natural and man-made disasters.

Science and Technology:
U.S. Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy John Holdren and
Russian Minister of Education and Science Andrey Fursenko

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

In April 2010, co-chairs met in Washington D.C., and agreed to develop cooperation in nanotechnology, IT, climate science and technology. Co-Chairs also discussed obstacles to science cooperation, including tax, customs duties, and visa issues. Following the meeting, the Russian delegation, which included Russian university rectors, participated in a roundtable with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During a visit to the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, Illinois, the Russian delegation held talks on expanding the topic of bilateral science and technology cooperation.

• Nanotechnology: In April 2010, a Russian delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Education and Science S.N. Mazurenko visited the United States for a Sub-Working Group meeting. The delegation included high-level representatives of the Russian MES, RUSNANO, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and representatives of the administration of a number of federal universities and national research institutes. The U.S. side was headed by Clayton Teague, Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office and other participants included a cross-section of Federal program managers and science advisors, academicians, and industry representatives. Participants discussed achievements in four areas (1) nano-materials for energy, (2) nanotechnology-related environmental, health, and safety research, (3) standardization, certification, and metrology, and (4) education and workforce development in the field of nanotechnology.

• Climate Change Science and Technology: In April 2010, U.S. and Russian experts agreed on possible avenues for cooperation, agreement was reached on the following areas for joint research: modeling and predicting global climate change using supercomputers; development of technologies for adaptation and mitigation of global climate change; and, monitoring, study, and modeling of the carbon and methane cycles.

• Information Technology: Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation S. Sobyanin, Minister Fursenko, and U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra exchanged ideas on inter-government cooperation on e-government in Boston in January and in February 2010, during meetings of the Innovation Dialogue in Moscow. In March 2010, with support of the Innovation Dialogue, Chopra and Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Shchegolev held a videoconference on e-government and cooperation in the field of information technology. Representatives of leading U.S. and Russian companies also participated. In April 2010, at the meeting of U.S. and Russian officials in Washington, the sides agreed on specific areas of collaboration: distance learning, e-government, collaboration on Internet projects and broader citizen engagement, as well as the development of research in the field of high-performance computer systems to perform research tasks.

Agenda for Future:

• For practical application of joint undertakings, both existing and new mechanisms for cooperation will be employed, including federal targeted programs: the program for attracting leading scientists to Russian institutions of higher education, the program of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Science Fellows Program, the Fulbright program, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s programs in international research and education, research exchange programs, and joint workshops.

• Nanotechnology: Development of a detailed study of and agreement on topics offering the potential for promising joint research. Identification of specific scientific research institutions and organizations, key contacts, and the individuals responsible for each of the priority areas.

• Climate Science and Technology: Additional experts meetings have been planned in order to discuss the topics of monitoring GHG emissions, study of the carbon cycle, modeling of ongoing natural processes, and adaptation to climate change.

• Information Technology: Development and implementation of joint government-to-government projects. Launch of program to intensify collaboration between our peoples.

Space Cooperation:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Administrator Charles Bolden and
Russian Federal Space Agency Head Anatoliy Perminov

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

• ISS: NASA and Roscosmos officials interact daily to support the activities of the ISS, both in-orbit and on the ground through teleconferences, phone calls etc. Co-chairs, with their European, Japanese and Canadian counterparts, agreed in March 2010 that the ISS provided unprecedented opportunities to drive advanced science and technology to benefit humanity on Earth while preparing the way for future exploration activities and enhanced collaboration on future international missions beyond low-Earth orbit. Co-chairs reaffirmed the importance of full exploitation of the Station’s scientific, engineering, utilization, and education potential. Co-chairs also noted that there are no identified technical constraints to continuing ISS operations beyond the current planning horizon of 2015 to at least 2020 and agreed to continue working together to certify on-orbit elements through 2028. The Space Agency Heads expressed their strong mutual interest in continuing operations and utilization for as long as the benefits of ISS exploitation are demonstrated.

• Life, Space, Earth Sciences: Roscosmos and NASA are exploring potential bio-specimen and data-sharing opportunities on upcoming Russian and U.S. life, space and Earth science missions.

• Space Exploration: In addition to on-going collaboration, such as the Russian Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector instrument as part of the U.S. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, NASA and Roscosmos are continuing discussions on future opportunities for cooperation in the exploration of space.

Agenda for Future:

• In 2011, the U.S. Mars Science Laboratory will launch with the Russian Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons investigation, building on the successful legacy of Russia’s High Energy Neutron Detector that is currently operating on NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

• Other potential areas for expanding cooperation include: ISS utilization; life, Earth and space science; communication and navigation; space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit; and education.

Civil Society:
U.S. Special Assistant to the President Michael McFaul and
Russian Presidential Administration First Deputy Chief of Staff Vladislav Surkov

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

• Child Protection/Combating Child Trafficking: In January 2010, Working Group members recognized the important role civil society plays in preventing exploitation/trafficking of children and in providing assistance to victims. U.S. and Russian experts exchanged views and experience on issues regarding non-governmental organizations efforts to protect children from trafficking and exploitation through pornography, including in coordination with local and federal governments. Russian and American non-governmental organizations are working with government agencies to establish a Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Russia. U.S. and Russian experts are actively negotiating a legally binding bilateral agreement on cooperation in the field of inter-country adoption.

• Anti-Corruption: In January 2010, U.S. and Russian civil society experts presented ideas to government representatives on the role that civil society can play in combating corruption.

• Prison Conditions: In May 2010, representatives of the U.S. and Russia discussed the role that civil society plays in monitoring prison conditions and increasing accountability in the penitentiary system, as well as the issue of alternatives to incarceration as a form of punishment, including during the pre-trial investigation period.

• Immigration: In May 2010, civil society representatives and government officials from the U.S. and Russia discussed activities undertaken by civil society that complement government programs to integrate immigrants and refugees into society.

Education, Culture, and Sports:
Special Presidential Representative for International Culture Cooperation, Mikhail Shvydkoy, and
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Judith McHale

Inter-Agency Participants:

 
Dates Group Convened:

Deliverables/Progress:

The Education, Culture, and Sports Working Group has established energetic cooperation in education, culture, and sports exchanges. During a series of meetings in Washington D.C. and in Moscow, the Working Group has brought together a number of government officials, museum and theater directors, educators and administrators, associations and business representatives to generate ideas and support for collaboration. As a result of these conversations, the Working Group has realized several priority initiatives and identified joint projects for the future.

CULTURE

Cooperation under the Working Group has helped to reinvigorate the celebration of American and Russian cultural and artistic traditions, facilitating dozens of events, exhibits, and performances in both of our countries. The successful tours of the Bolshoi and the Mariinskiy Ballets at Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts were among the most distinguished Russian cultural initiatives in the Unites States. A festival was held in St. Petersburg, Russia celebrating the 100th anniversary of Hollywood film; the Parsons Dance Company of Chicago, the Mark Morris Dance Company, and violinist Sarah Chang, each held performances in Moscow; and exhibitions were held in Moscow by American photographer Anthony Suau. Conductor David Handel also led the Russian Symphony Orchestra in a program of Gershwin music. The Western States Arts Federation, a member of the Culture Sub-Working Group, is also creating a pilot web site to help facilitate information sharing and connect Russian cultural organizations on potential joint projects.

Cooperation between the U.S. Library of Congress and Russia’s Presidential Library is developing. Creative ties have also been established between Russian and American art schools and literary journals.

Future Agenda on Culture:

As a result, a number of cultural exchanges have been agreed to in 2011-2012. In May 2010, Russia announced its intention to participate in the 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The U.S. is also currently exploring programming for a similar year-long program of American cultural events in Russia. In addition to planning for Russia’s participation in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and events related to the 200^th anniversary of the Ft. Ross National Landmark, the following activities are planned: establishing a branch of the Russian Museum in New York City; performances of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in Moscow in 2011; and prominent museum exhibits in both countries such as the “Glory to Russia,” and “We, the People...,” exhibits as well as an exhibit exploring the lives and legacies of Tsar Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln and the creation of a Russian-American inter-museum forum. Russia is also expected to participate as a special guest at the International Book Fair organized by the Association of American Publishers in 2012.

EDUCATION

U.S. and Russian Working Group members recognize the importance of working together to educate a new generation of innovative thinkers, who can respond to the challenges and problems of the 21^st century.

• In December 2009, a joint plan was signed to realize our mutual interest in joint programs in early, secondary, and higher education and strengthening cooperation between American and Russian educational institutions and private sectors. On the margins of our bilateral consultations, information was exchanged on U.S. and Russian national priorities for international cooperation in the field of education and the systems of organizational and financial support of international collaboration projects in education. The Working Group noted that a number of shared priorities in secondary, professional, and higher-professional education have established favorable prospects for substantive increases in exchanges of youth, college students, graduate students, and teachers between Russian and American educational institutions.

• In February, the United States announced a new Fulbright “Science and Innovation” Award.

• In March, a video conference on jury trials was held as a pilot project between law students from the U.S. (Georgetown University and George Washington University) and Russia (St. Petersburg State University).

• In April, the Russian Federation Minister of Education and Science, A. Fursenko, Under Secretary McHale, and representatives of the U.S. Department of Education held a plenary session of the Education Sub-Working Group. Russian university rectors as well as representatives of American educational associations and the private sector also participated. The U.S. Department of State also organized visits by the delegations to the University of Maryland in Baltimore and Johns Hopkins University to discuss management of research activity and university-business collaboration. A list of educational conferences and events for 2010-2011 and a survey of the U.S. educational system were provided to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

• In June 2010, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and the U.S. Department of Education established six new partnerships between Russian and American universities in science and technology, environmental science, and culture and society. In addition, the New York Academy of Sciences and the Moscow State Science University are preparing to sign a partnership agreement.

Future Agenda on Education:

The development of existing mechanisms for exchanges is continuing, including the Fulbright program, teacher exchanges, and university partnership programs. The Moscow Architectural Institute and Columbia University plan to launch a joint program to establish a World Architecture Center. In the summer of 2011, a Fulbright Summer School in nanotechnology will take place at Kazan State University. Cooperation is also being established between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Russia’s Innovation Center at Skolkovo.

SPORTS

A joint activities plan has been developed for sports exchanges. From May 15 to 29, 2010, the first Russian youth basketball delegation traveled to the United States.

Future Agenda:

Throughout the remaining months of 2010, the sub-Working Group will continue implementation of agreed and reciprocal sports exchanges in swimming, beach volleyball, ice hockey, and basketball. Russian youth swimmers are expected to travel to the United States in July 2010; American beach volleyball players are expected to travel to Russia in August 2010 and reciprocal ice hockey exchanges are scheduled for late 2010 to early 2011 in Russia and the United States.