The United States and the other nations of the world are increasingly dependent on the global exchange of ideas and technologies to maintain vibrant national science and technology enterprises. The importance of this global exchange grows as the pace of technological change increases. And, scientific lines of communication between countries typically remain open even when almost every other form of contact has collapsed. We saw this during the Cold War when, even in the chilliest periods, U.S. scientists maintained ties with their counterparts in the Soviet Union. It is equally important today that scientific exchanges continue between nations that find themselves in conflict of one form or another.
Science is about harmony . . .
It can help lay the groundwork for peace. For these and other reasons, this Administration is committed to supporting programs like CRDF, which brings together the most promising scientists to take on our greatest scientific challenges. That money has been hard at work in helping to move weapons scientists into civilian activities and in speeding the development of market economies in the former Soviet Union. In these ways, then, CRDF is an excellent model for fostering international cooperation in science and technology. I stated earlier that international cooperation in science and technology is critical not only in advancing basic knowledge, but also in enabling us to meet other national objectives.