The break-up of the former Soviet Union as a superpower in the military as well as in science and technology into Newly Independent States (NIS) had severe consequences for the society, the industry and the civilian and defense Science and Technology (S&T). Since 1990 many organisations have been established in the Western World in order to stabilise the NIS, primarly the Ukraine and the Russian Federation. One of the aims, of course, has been to help scientists, but also to prevent the undesirable proliferation of sophisticated arms technologies. Another motivation has been to profit from their immense knowledge in S&T and to prevent a massive brain drain of Eastern human resources to the West. Armenia, for example, still has brilliant mathematicians and Belarus and the Russian Federation have excellent computer scientists. Recently, the OECD has identified more than 200 centres of excellence with intact scientific infrastructures or experimental equipment in almost all scientific fields in NIS. Yet, the S&T management has not changed much, because their system of academies does not promote competiton. On the other hand, the help of the West has always been combined with promotion of scientific excellence and good S&T management practice. In this respect the Swiss programme SCOPES, financed by the development agency of the Department of Foreign Affairs and managed by the Swis National Science Foundation, has contributed substantially. The European Programmes INTAS, ISCONIS, COPERNICUS and TACIS are trying to salvage the richness of S&T in NIS. Many experts share the conviction that the Russian Federation, together with other NIS countries, will become valuable partners in international S&T co-operation.