23 August 2002
"Project Vinca" Moved Enriched Uranium from Serbia to Russia
(State Department fact sheet describes multilateral effort) (836)
The State Department issued the following fact sheet August 23
describing "Project Vinca" -- the cooperative anti-terrorism effort by
the United States, Russia, Serbia, the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), and the private Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) -- in
which a load of highly enriched uranium was removed from a research
reactor near Belgrade and transported safely to a facility in
Dmitrovgrad, Russia, where it will be processed for use as commercial
reactor fuel:
(begin fact sheet)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
August 23, 2002 2002/735
FACT SHEET
Project Vinca
- To remove a potential target for theft or terrorist attack, the
governments of the United States and Russia reached an agreement with
the government of Serbia, endorsed by the Yugoslav government, to work
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear
Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Russian Federation to remove a
quantity of highly enriched uranium, sufficient to produce 2-1/2
nuclear weapons from a research reactor near downtown Belgrade.
- The 48 kilograms (over 100 pounds) of unirradiated fuel was flown
out of Belgrade on August 22 and has been safely secured in
Dmitrovgrad, Russia, where it will be "blended down" into low enriched
uranium for use as commercial reactor fuel.
- The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Energy
cooperated in the conduct of this project. The cost to the U.S.
Government will be between $2-3 million -- the State Department's
Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund contributed about $2 million and
the Department of Energy provided technical expertise and costs
associated with "blending down" the materials. Nuclear Threat
Initiative is a private charitable foundation that helped catalyze the
deal by providing $5 million in funding to address radioactive hazards
at the Vinca Nuclear Institute. The U.S. Government lacks the
authority to fund this critical element of the project.
- Implementation of the project began on August 14 with the arrival of
Russian nuclear material transport containers aboard a Russian cargo
aircraft. On August 15 and 16, the 5046 cylinders of fresh highly
enriched uranium fuel were repackaged from their storage location at
the Vinca Institute into their transport containers. U.S. and Russian
technical specialists observed the repackaging operation.
- The material has been under International Atomic Energy Agency
safeguards. Inspectors were present during the operation to verify the
nuclear material and to apply seals to the containers to assure their
integrity during interim storage and transport.
- Special units of the police and military in Yugoslavia provided
physical protection during the repackaging operation and the
subsequent storage of the material in its transport containers.
- Many details of the transfer of the material to Russia were kept
secret by Belgrade authorities, to assure a successful and secure
operation. Transfer activities began early in the morning of August
22. The 45-minute trip to the airport was secured by up to 1200
military and police officers, including special operations and
anti-terrorist units. A special unit for dealing with hazardous
materials was kept on standby in case of an emergency or accident. The
material arrived at the Belgrade airport without incident and was
loaded into the Russian transport plane, which departed Belgrade after
8:00 a.m. The material arrived in Dmitrovgrad four hours later and was
transferred to a secure storage location.
- Project Vinca is a tangible result of the cooperation among the
governments of the United States, Russia and Yugoslavia and
demonstrates the kind of work that could be done under an
international partnership to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons
of mass destruction.
- Yugoslavia is to be commended by the global community for its
important contribution to international nonproliferation and
counterterrorism objectives.
- The United States Government expresses its thanks to the Nuclear
Threat Initiative, co-chaired by Ted Turner and Senator Sam Nunn for
the funding provided by its foundation for an essential part of the
project. The project is an excellent example of public-private
cooperation and how the United States Government and the private
sector can work together to find innovative and effective solutions
for our world's greatest nonproliferation challenges.
(end fact sheet)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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