Interview with Roland Timerbaev, 1986 [2]

Roland Timerbaev, a world expert in the area of nuclear non-proliferation, served on the Soviet delegation of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) and was deputy director of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1964 to 1985. In the interview he describes nonproliferation efforts through the 1960s and 1970s. He starts with Atoms for Peace, which encouraged both nuclear cooperation and nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, and the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He moves onto the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), the negotiations for which he participating in. He describes the negotiating process, as well as the difficulties and successes of the treaty. He also describes the Nuclear Supplier Group, and the actions of the Soviet Union, United States, and Great Britain, in terms of supplier nuclear materials to developing countries. He reacts to the Chinese and Indian nuclear explosions, as well as the nuclear programs of near nuclear countries like Israel and Pakistan.