ARMENIA AND U.S. SIGN PACT ON NUCLEAR SMUGGLING PREVENTION
Natalia Leshchenko
World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
July 15, 2008
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian signed an agreement to fight the smuggling of
nuclear and radioactive materials. The agreement lists 28 steps that
both sides will commit to undertake. Armenia will receive assistance
from the United States with the implementation of some, but not all,
of these measures. The assistance will complement and be coordinated
with other aid programmes currently provided for the country by the
U.S. government and its agencies.
Significance: Armenia is the fifth country with which the United States
has concluded an agreement on nuclear smuggling, the others being
Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan. The agreement is part of
the Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative, designed to prevent, detect,
and respond effectively to attempts to smuggle nuclear or radioactive
materials through bilateral agreements. The initiative emerged within
the U.S. presidential administration as a more flexible and tailored
alternative to multi-lateral conventions. The United States plans to
conclude bilateral agreements under the Nuclear Smuggling initiative
with around twenty further countries. For Armenia, the deal with
the United States brings not only the obvious security and material
benefits, but also adds an additional feeling of having the United
States on its side in the unceasing conflict with Azerbaijan.