UNITED STATES AND ARMENIAN GOVERNMENTS HOLD INITIAL DISCUSSIONS TO CONSIDER THE NUCLEAR SMUGGLING OUTREACH INITIATIVE

Lragir
Dec 11 2007
Armenia

On December 10, the United States and Armenian governments held initial
discussions at the U.S. Embassy to consider the Nuclear Smuggling
Outreach Initiative (NSOI). The talks were aimed at negotiating a
bilateral action plan to combat nuclear smuggling.

Representatives of the U.S. Departments of State, Energy, and Homeland
Security, as well as experts from the European Union and International
Atomic Energy Agency were joined by 19 representatives from 11 Armenian
government agencies, including the National Security Service, the
Armenian Nuclear Power Plant, the Border Guard Service, the Armenian
Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the Justice Ministry, Foreign Ministry,
Prosecutor General’s Office, State Customs Committee, Ministry of
Nature Protection, Armenian Rescue Service, and Ministry of Defense.

American and Armenian officials discussed modes of potential
cooperation in preventing, detecting, and responding to illicit
trafficking of nuclear and highly radioactive materials. Both sides
affirmed the need for a coordinated response to combat nuclear
smuggling.

Through NSOI, the United States has already entered into joint
action plans to combat nuclear trafficking with Ukraine, Georgia,
the Kyrgyz Republic, and Kazakhstan, and has a tentative agreement
with Tajikistan.

The United States and Armenia hope that the NSOI will promote greater
U.S.-Armenian cooperation on international security issues. American
officials plan to return to Armenia in spring, 2008 to continue
discussion of the NSOI.