29 November 2001

U.S., Russia to Step-up Efforts to Safeguard Nuclear Materials

The United States and Russia have agreed to expand and accelerate their efforts to improve the physical protection, control and accounting of all forms of plutonium and highly enriched uranium "in all possessor states."

The agreement was announced November 29 after talks in Moscow between U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Russian Federation Minister of Atomic Energy Alexander Rumyantsev.

A Department of Energy press release said the agreement builds on commitments made by Presidents Bush and Putin during their recent summit in Texas, and will involve both "bilateral efforts and a joint commitment to urge more effective international action." It also said that Abraham and Rumyantsev would be "personally engaged on a day-to-day basis" in supervising the new effort to safeguard nuclear materials.

Following is the release, which includes the formal statement issued after the Abraham-Rumyantsev talks:

U.S. Department of Energy Press Release R-01-200
November 29, 2001

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham views agreement as an important step in the fight against terrorism

(Moscow, Russia) -- Following two days of meetings in Moscow, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Russian Federation Minister of Atomic Energy Alexander Rumyantsev agreed today to accelerate and expand joint U.S.-Russian efforts to strengthen the protection of nuclear material. The agreement builds on commitments by Presidents Bush and Putin at their recent Crawford, Texas summit and will involve both bilateral efforts and a joint commitment to urge more effective international action.

"Minister Rumyantsev and I agreed to be personally engaged on a day-to-day basis in supervising this effort," Secretary Abraham said following the meetings. "I am very pleased with the reaction of my Russian counterpart to these U.S. proposals. I believe we have agreed on significant steps to expand and accelerate international efforts to safeguard nuclear material. We both take this issue very seriously, especially in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks."

To demonstrate the seriousness with which they take their new commitment, Secretary Abraham and Minister Rumyantsev took the unusual step of issuing the following formal statement at the conclusion of their meetings:

"Guided by the provisions of the "Joint Statement by President George W. Bush and President Vladimir V. Putin on a New Relationship Between the United States and Russia," and, in particular, by the call for 'improving the physical protection and accounting of nuclear materials of all possessor states' expressed in it, Secretary Spencer Abraham and Minister A.Yu. Rumyantsev discussed steps to enhance cooperation between the United States Department of Energy and the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy.

"The Secretary and the Minister agreed on the necessity of closer cooperation on enhancing the nuclear weapons non-proliferation regime, improving measures on nuclear materials physical protection, control and accounting as well as preventing illegal trafficking and handling of nuclear and radioactive materials.

"In this respect the Secretary and the Minister noted the importance of coordinating their efforts and cooperating with other countries and with the International Atomic Energy Agency to increase efforts toward the protection of fissile nuclear material in order to strengthen international security and to bolster safety and security in the peaceful use of atomic power for the benefit of increasing the economic well being and prosperity of the peoples of the world.

"The Secretary and the Minister directed their subordinates to analyze the efficiency of the present cooperation and progress in accelerating that cooperation and to prepare appropriate reports for them on how to perfect, enhance and expand the cooperation that they will consider at their next joint meeting."

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration has extensive programs in Russia to improve the physical protection, control and accounting of all forms of plutonium and highly enriched uranium. Under the agreement reached today these efforts will be expanded and accelerated, and the Secretary and the Minister will establish a formal process to monitor progress.

On Friday, Secretary Abraham will travel to Vienna to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohammed El-Baradei and to address the IAEA Board of Governors. The Secretary will continue the efforts he began in Moscow by emphasizing the importance of efforts to enhance the IAEA's role in strengthening international safeguards for the protection and accounting of nuclear materials.