Center for scientists planned in Moscow

WASHINGTON -- A Moscow center offering useful work for former Soviet weapons scientists to prevent them from selling their skills abroad is on the way to starting in June, a key State Department official said yesterday.

The $75 million International Science and Technology Center will serve as a sort of "dating service," matching scientists' knowledge with peaceful government and private-sector research projects.

A high priority, said Robert Gallucci, the State Department official in charge of the project, will be research into nuclear-plant safety and management of nuclear waste. A second center is planned for Ukraine.