As coordinators of the U.S. – Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission (BPC), Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today welcomed the submission of the 2013 U.S. – Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission Annual Report.

The report includes updates from each of the BPC’s 21 working groups.

The many achievements of the Commission this year included increased ties between universities and innovative regions, a robust partnership aboard the International Space Station, shared expertise in disaster preparedness, joint nuclear and energy research agreements and projects, partnerships on environmental issues such as legacy waste sites, collaboration in the public health sector, bilateral trade missions, and the modernization of the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center in the United States for continued, 24-hour contact with its counterpart at the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The BPC was established in 2009 to enhance wide-ranging cooperation between the United States and Russia.

Since its creation, the Commission has embraced a whole-of-government approach to strengthen practical cooperation on a range of issues, including: arms control and international security, fostering closer defense ties, increasing bilateral trade and investment opportunities, countering terrorism and narcotics trafficking, promoting advances in science, technology, health and energy, and enhancing people-to-people and cultural ties between our societies.

More than 60 U.S. and Russian government agencies support the work of the Commission, producing concrete results for the mutual benefit of both our countries.

The Report may be found here http://www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/rs/usrussiabilat/219086.htm.