MOSCOW- (RIA Novosti commentator Tatyana Sinitsyna). U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said during her recent trip to Moscow that the Americans had secured better access to Russia's nuclear facilities, which was hardly music to Russian ears.

Nor did her "explanation" that she did not link the inspections with the issue of sovereignty go unnoticed. Rice, at the very least, timed her comments poorly: a country that paid 27 million lives for its independence 60 years ago does not deserve to have its sovereignty discussed on the eve of Victory Day.

How close have American inspectors come to Russian nuclear sites? In short, they have not got beyond the perimeters of these sites. The most sensitive spheres of the nuclear industry have always been closed and not merely to foreigners, as only a limited number of Russian specialists have access to these spheres.

The external or physical protection of nuclear sites is a different matter, as Russia maintains cooperation with the U.S., as well as with Germany, Britain and France, under agreements on the registration and control of the physical protection of nuclear materials (02.10.99). Vladimir Kuchinov, the head of the Department for International and Foreign Trade Cooperation at the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power, says, "Under this document America helps us financially and technically to improve the protection of our institutes, organizations, and enterprises, including closed nuclear cities. This assistance is the most important and successful component of the agreement."

According to the Agency, hundreds of American specialists visit Russian nuclear installations every year. But they obviously do not simply arrive and go where they want. They do not have access to sensitive facilities, where there are new elements and technologies. They can only visit the outer and inner perimeters but cannot go inside. Moreover, sensitive facilities are not even part of this cooperation. They are fully controlled by the Russian specialists.

The Agreement covers 24 nuclear-dangerous installations and 6 non-nuclear sites. Depots are also included and not only those where weapons-grade plutonium is stored, but also those which house waste from decommissioned nuclear submarines and spent fuel from nuclear power plants.

Although Russia needs U.S. assistance, this does not mean that its nuclear installations are poorly protected. This was emphasized in a joint statement made by Vladimir Putin and George Bush in Bratislava. They agreed that the level of the physical protection of nuclear sites in Russia and the U.S. corresponded to modern standards. Both presidents pointed out that the physical protection of nuclear sites should be permanently improved just like any other technology given new challenges and threats. And Russian-American cooperation continues moving in this direction.

The Americans have already provided hundreds of millions of dollars to improve the physical protection of Russia's nuclear facilities. This gesture is not prompted just by the desire to help Russia in the moment of need. The U.S. prefers to pay rather than see Russian nuclear arsenals go without proper servicing and control because of a lack of money and the brain drain. It is only natural that they want to see how the money is spent. Is there a new fence around a nuclear depot? Are there monitors at the entrance gate? Are the control posts well equipped? Any agreement has a clause on verifications and inspections. The American experts cross the ocean to carry them out.

The Agency for Nuclear Power has reported that all visits to Russian nuclear sites are strictly regulated: there are procedures for the presentation of documents, lists of visitors are agreed upon in advance, and even the duration of trips is specified.

The financial crisis that hit Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union forced it to cooperate with the Americans. "Now that the Russian economy is regaining strength, this cooperation is gradually acquiring a different dimension," said Kuchinov. "We are using less aid and counting more on equal cooperation."

The U.S. is not going to finance Russia forever. After all, it is the American taxpayer's money.