27 May 2004

UN welcomes US-led nuclear security initiative

A new US plan to strengthen nuclear security around the world has been welcomed by the UN atomic watchdog agency.

The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), announced by US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham yesterday at a meeting with senior officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, aims to minimize as quickly as possible the amount of nuclear material available that could be used for nuclear weapons.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said that the move was a step up in the battle to prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the clutches of terrorists.

"Security issues have become a global priority in the past several years, with nuclear weapons related know-how spreading extensively," he added.

"This makes control of nuclear material that could be used for nuclear weapons extremely critical."

GTRI seeks to set up mechanisms ensuring that nuclear and radiological materials and related equipment anywhere in the world are not used for malicious purposes.

Under the initiative, the US will work with the IAEA and other partners to repatriate all Russian-origin, fresh high-enriched uranium fuel (in cooperation with Russia and other countries concerned) by the end of next year, and accelerate and complete the repatriation of all Russian-origin spent fuel by 2010.

They will also take steps to accelerate and complete the repatriation of all US-origin research reactor spent fuel, work to convert the cores of civilian research reactors that use high-enriched uranium to use low-enriched uranium fuel worldwide.

(gmcg)