Canada and the United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Moscow on co-operation to support Russia in destroying its chemical weapons stocks. This MOU provides the framework for Canada to make further significant financial contributions to the construction of a major chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuch'ye in central Russia.

This is the second Canada-UK Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with Russian CW destruction. Under the first MoU, which was concluded in November 2003, Canada agreed to provide C$33M (£15m) for the construction of a vital railway link to the destruction facility at Shchuch'ye.

Under the MOU signed today, Canada will provide an initial $10 million (approximately £4.5 million) for further key industrial infrastructure projects at Shchuch'ye. Canada also plans to make additional contributions over the next two years under this MOU. These further contributions will be used by the UK to provide equipment for the facility's second main destruction building. Completion of these critical projects will help to ensure the earliest practicable destruction of the Shchuch'ye stockpile.

"Canada is very pleased to expand its partnership with the UK to assist in addressing one of the most important international security tasks facing us today – the destruction by Russia in cooperation with its international partners of the world's largest chemical weapons stockpile", said Canadian Ambassador to Russia Christopher Westdal, who signed the MOU on behalf of Canada. "This new agreement with the UK will allow Canada to continue to further the significant contributions it has already made to the construction of the Shchuch'ye chemical weapons destruction facility."

Adam Ingram, the UK Armed Forces Minister, said: "I warmly welcome this generous contribution that will greatly assist the international effort to rid the world of chemical weapons. Countering the threats posed by the proliferation of WMD is a global challenge and one to which the UK remains steadfastly committed."

The project will be managed as part of the UK MOD's assistance programme, under the terms of a UK-Russia bilateral Agreement. The US is funding the construction of most of the Shchuch'ye facility, at a cost of some $1 billion.

Russia has the world's largest declared stockpile of chemical weapons. More than 40,000 tonnes, mostly consisting of modern nerve agents, is stored at seven sites in the west of the country. Destruction of these stocks is a key requirement of the Chemical Weapons Convention, and an important part of the global fight against WMD proliferation.

Canada and the UK consider the Shchuch'ye chemical weapons destruction facility the top priority in this area, as it will destroy many of Russia's most lethal and proliferation-prone chemical weapons (approximately 1.9 million artillery shells filled with the nerve agents Sarin, Soman and VX).

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For further information, media representatives may contact: Charlie Morton at the Defence Press Office at tel. 020 7218 5903; Brian Ebel at the Embassy of Canada at tel. (095)105-6022, or visit the MoD website at www.mod.uk.