A meeting of 30 experts was held in Bonn, Germany, in November 1996 to discuss various aspects of the destruction of chemical weapons in the Russian Federation. This volume, supported by the Volkswagen Foundation and produced in co-operation with the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), reviews the Russian chemical weapon destruction efforts, the factors which have hindered them and the reasons why Russian ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was postponed until 5 November 1997. The CWC entered into force on 29 April 1997, and the volume describes the effect it has had thus far on Russia's chemical weapon destruction efforts. Information is also provided on CWC destruction requirements; Russia's chemical weapon destruction legislation, technologies and programme; foreign assistance to Russia; and Russia's choice of destruction technologies. SIPRI is an independent international institute for research into problems of peace and conflict, especially those of arms control and disarmament. It was established in 1966 to commemorate Sweden's 150 years of unbroken peace. SIPRI Chemical and Biological Warfare Studies is a series of occasional papers intended primarily for specialists in the field of CBW arms control and for people engaged in other areas of international relations or security affairs whose work could benefit from a deeper understanding of particular CBW matters. The papers originate in studies commissioned by SIPRI as input for subsequent non-specialist SIPRI publications Governing Board: Daniel Tarschys (Sweden); Oscar Aris Sanchez (Costa Rica); Marrack Goulding (UK); Ryukichi Imai (Japan); Catherine Kelleher (USA); Marjatta Rautio (Finland); Lothar Ruhl (Germany); Abdullah Toukan (Jordan); Adam Daniel Rotfeld (Poland). The BICC is an international research institute and clearing house focusing on conversion and disarmament.