27 May 2005
U.S., Ukraine Agree on Working To Improve Nuclear Security
Energy Secretary Bodman, Ukrainian Minister Zhvaniya sign agreement in Kiev
The United States and Ukraine are working together to improve the security of Ukraine's radioactive materials, which could be used in building a “dirty bomb,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and Ukrainian Minister for Emergencies David Zhvaniya signed the agreement in Kiev as part of Bodman’s visit to Azerbaijan, Russia and Ukraine to discuss issues such as energy and nuclear security.
Under an interim arrangement, the National Nuclear Security Administration can begin working with Ukraine’s Ministry of Emergencies to upgrade security at the six Ukrainian storage facilities where high-risk radioactive sources are stored.
Bodman also spoke at an energy security conference at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute on May 26. To ensure energy security, “a nation needs to maintain a diversity of fuels from a multiplicity of sources,” he told the conference. As an example, the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline from Azerbaijan through Georgia to the Turkish coast “will add to overall energy security and market stability," he said. (See related article.)
Bodman also made the point that “energy security is best achieved if societies and economies are free.”
The text of Bodman’s remarks as prepared for delivery at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute is available on the Department of Energy’s Web site.
Following is the DOE announcement on the U.S.-Ukraine radioactive materials agreement:
(begin text)
U.S. Department of Energy
May 26, 2005
UNITED STATES AND UKRAINE SIGN AGREEMENT TO IMPROVE SECURITY OF UKRAINE'S RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
KIEV, UKRAINE -- US Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and his Ukrainian counterpart David Zhvaniya, Minister for Emergencies, today signed an Implementing Arrangement to partner together to advance international nonproliferation goals by improving the security of Ukraine's radioactive materials. These radioactive materials are no longer considered useful for production, but could be used in building a radiological dispersal device such as a ‘dirty bomb.’
"This Implementing Arrangement is a significant step forward in our partnership to safeguard these radioactive materials and advance the security of the region," Secretary Bodman said. "Presidents Bush and Yushchenko, who met in Washington DC earlier this year, pledged cooperation between our two nations to promote nuclear safety, security of nuclear materials, and nonproliferation. I'm honored to help move that agreement forward through today's signing ceremony."
Under the Arrangement, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Global Radiological Threat Reduction can begin working with Ukraine’s Ministry of Emergencies to upgrade security at the six Ukrainian storage facilities where high-risk radioactive sources are stored.
The Implementing Arrangement is an important element of the new 21st Century Agenda for the Ukrainian-American Strategic Partnership, which President Yushchenko and President Bush met to discuss earlier this year in Washington, DC.
The Office of Global Radiological Threat Reduction is part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), which works to identify, secure, remove and/or facilitate the disposition of vulnerable, high-risk nuclear and other radiological materials around the world as expeditiously as possible. GTRI has initiated radiological threat reduction efforts in 40 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South and Central America.
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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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