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APPENDIX I APPENDIX I 



U.S. participation in a specific international cooperative 

 effort may be motivated by technical or foreign policy considera- 

 tions. DOE'S Office of Fusion Energy routinely identifies oppor- 

 tunities for international cooperation which it perceives will 

 benefit the fusion program technically. For example, in 1983 that 

 office began negotiations with Germany for a joint fusion fuel 

 impurity study when funding for the project was not included in 

 the fiscal year 1983 budget. The Office of Fusion Energy also 

 evaluates inquiries for cooperative efforts from its technical 

 counterparts in other countries. Prior to entering into any 

 agreement, DOE coordinates its plans, through its Office of Inter- 

 national Affairs, with the Department of State to ensure that the 

 proposed agreement is in consonance with the United States' over- 

 all foreign policy objectives. DOE does not enter into agreements 

 that are diplomatically undesirable. 



Occasionally, the Department of State also identifies fusion 

 research opportunities which it perceives as enhancing relation- 

 ships between participating countries. According to DOE offi- 

 cials, in those cases DOE tries to develop exchange efforts that 

 will contribute to the U.S. program as well as meet diplomatic 

 objectives . 



International cooperation — a component 

 of DOE'S fusion program strategy 



According to DOE officials, international cooperative efforts 

 in the magnetic confinement fusion program have in the past pro- 

 vided valuable experience and information for U.S. fusion scien- 

 tists. Further, because of the combination of projected high 

 costs for more advanced fusion facilities and anticipated budget 

 constraints, DOE expects international cooperation to assume an 

 increasingly greater role in achieving the program's objectives. 

 However, program officials stated that international cooperative 

 efforts have been, and will continue to be, in areas which contri- 

 bute to and complement, but are not critical to, continued prog- 

 ress in the U.S. fusion program. For example, the United States 

 has extensive exchange programs with Japan involving peripheral 

 aspects — computer modeling and diagnostics development — of its two 

 mainline magnetic confinement fusion concepts. 



The United States also participates in international coopera- 

 tive exchanges to keep abreast of developments in alternative 

 magnetic confinement fusion concepts. For example, it has infor- 

 mal arrangements with the European Community involving stellarator 

 research activities. ( Stellarators are another form of a toroidal 

 fusion device.) The U.S. fusion program began with the stellara- 

 tor concept in the early 1950' s, but experienced many difficul- 

 ties. The program shifted its emphasis to tokamaks in the late 

 1960's, after the Soviets achieved dramatic results using them. 

 Now that stellarators are demonstrating renewed promise, U.S. 



