An important trend identified by many workshop participants is that Russia and the United States are continuing the transition from an assistance relationship, which was prevalent during the 1990s, to a partnership relationship. A partnership relationship implies that the two countries are willing to share in setting priorities for cooperation, managing projects, and funding cooperative efforts. Priorities for this evolving partnership include both persistent challenges, such as further reductions in nuclear weapons in the pursuit of fulfilling Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,5 and new challenges such as the expansion of nuclear energy technologies, nuclear forensics, nuclear terrorism, and challenges which may arise.
