A team of U.S. Forest Service fire managers and fire scientists visited the Republic of Russia from 23 September to 6 October 1991 to develop cooperative programs and technical and scientific exchanges in forest fire management and research. As a result of the American visit, an agreement was signed between the United States and the Republic of Russia which covered the following six points: 1) exchange of working groups to study fire fighting operations and management (beginning in 1992), 2) initiate the development of operational agreements in forest fire suppression for Alaska and the Eastern regions of the Russian Republic, the goal being the transportation and use of resources and equipment, 3) joint development of remote sensing (satellite) sensing systems for forest fire prediction, detection, and effective management, 4) monitor boreal forest ecosystems (including the effects of forest fires), 5) joint use of fire management computer software, and 6) bilateral research programs on various problems of forest fire control.