Foreign Contracts 'Russia's Only Chance'

news Foreign contracts ‘Russia’s only chance’

[MOSCOW & LONDON] The appointment of Unlucky strike: nuclear Yevgeny Primakov as the new Russian prime industry workers picket minister and the promise to give cash-starved the parliament scientists a portion of their unpaid salaries building in Moscow last may go some way towards stabilizing Russian week in support of politics. But they are unlikely to ease the hard- demands for four ship for researchers in the foreseeable future. months’ back pay. 8 No solution is in sight to the salary crisis Slogan on the left among scientists (see Nature 395, 109; 1998). reads: “A hungry ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/AP The Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom), nuclear worker is much for example, is owed 2.8 billion rubles more dangerous than (US$280 million) by the government, any other one”. including 800 million rubles in up to four months of unpaid salaries. Staff staged a mass picket outside Minatom’s Moscow building earlier this month. Victor Ivanov, Minatom’s newly appoint- ed deputy minister, acknowledged last week to a press conference in London that foreign contracts are the only realistic solution to the crisis. Ivanov said that the ministry and its local reactor management had dug deep to support those most in need, but there is little tic nuclear power programme. Three pres- for its own enterprises,” he said. more that can be done. surized water reactors are being completed, Meanwhile, the Russian Committee of Overseas orders for nuclear materials, and regulatory as well as local planning Scientific Collectives (RCSC), a federation of such as radioactive isotopes, “are the only approval had been obtained for a fourth. He science trades unions, continues to send way our institutions will survive”, he said. also said that Russia was keen to develop a telegrams alerting Yeltsin to the catastrophic Speaking on the day Primakov was nominat- new generation of fast breeder reactor with situation in Russian science, and repeatedly ed as prime minister by President Boris the help of foreign partners. demands that the cabinet honour its earlier Yeltsin, Ivanov said Minatom institutions Ivan Gradobitov, deputy chairman of promise to pay scientists’ salaries in full. But that relied solely on the Russian government the nuclear workers’ trade union, said that its exhortations fall on deaf ears. “will have to shut down, or suspend work”. the government could not shirk its responsi- The unions are also calling for the rein- But Ivanov stressed that Russia was to bilities. “The ministry is responsible for the statement of Vladimir Fortov, who was press ahead with plans to expand its domes- situation since it serves as a state customer sacked as minister of science and technology in April, although Fortov is understood to Hopes ride on manager with a scientist’s mind have ruled out a return to office. Izosim Molchanov, the sacked deputy minister [MOSCOW] The hopes of an He is well known delicate problems arising in responsible for science within the finance ailing Russia are riding on politically for his analytic the scientific community,” ministry, has also yet to be replaced. Yevgeny Primakov, the approach to problem solving. says Emel’yanov. “Each time At the last RCSC meeting, union mem- country’s so-far scandal-free It is a skill that will be he acted as any scientist bers voted for a series of strikes outside gov- prime minister, who has severely tested as he charts should: analysing a problem ernment buildings in Moscow. Unless the combined his career in a course through Russia’s in depth and trying to government acts by the end of September, politics with success in financial crisis and attempts understand it in its broader staff from research institutes surrounding several other fields. to reinstate — and, even context.” Moscow will blockade three highways lead- A former economist, harder, maintain — a regular According to Vitaly ing to the city. The strikes will culminate in a journalist, Middle East expert, flow of salaries to scientists. Goldansky, a prominent series of protests across Russia on 7 October. head of two research Yuri Emel’yanov, a former Russian physicist, Primakov The Russian cabinet’s decision of 17 institutes, spymaster and senior member of Russia’s tends to draw on the advice August to freeze all short-term payments has diplomat, Primakov caps his scientific civil service, thinks of expert advisory crippled the country’s banking system and impressive range of expertise Primakov will succeed where committees, and will use his left citizens with effectively no access to with Russia’s highest others have failed. contacts from the world of their money. scientific rank: that of Emel’yanov remembers research to gather around Bank accounts have been frozen, partly academician. Primakov’s handling of him some of Russia’s finest because the banks are running short of Between 1962 and 1970 conflicts while at the helm of experts. money, but partly too as collateral against he worked as a journalist two of the Russian Academy “He is a born manager,” government debts, and partly because they specializing in the Middle of Sciences’ research says one of his subordinates. have converted rubles into dollars to safe- East, on which he later wrote organizations — the East “It makes no difference for guard the value of their deposits. The closure his doctoral thesis. He was Research Institute and the him what kind of organization of accounts means bills cannot be paid, elected a full member of the World Economy Research he is running — a scientific depriving the government of its usual Russian Academy of Institute — from 1970 to 1989. institute, a foreign ministry, sources of revenue. Sciences in 1989, the year he “I witnessed how he an intelligence service or Shops are emptying quickly as those with became head of the KGB. solved some of the most a local hospital.” C. L. cash rush to stock up on food before the next price rise. Carl Levitin & Ehsan Masood