| Press Statement Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC August 23, 2002 Project Vinca: Highly Enriched Uranium Removed from Belgrade Reactor in a Multinational Public - Private ProjectIn an unprecedented and highly successful cooperative project, officials from the United States, the Republic of Serbia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Russian Federation successfully transferred yesterday a quantity of highly-enriched weapons-quality uranium from the Vinca nuclear reactor near Belgrade -- enough for two nuclear weapons -- to a facility in the Russian Federation where it will be down blended for use as a conventional nuclear fuel. A substantial financial contribution from the Nuclear Threat Initiative enabled the parties to reach agreement on an action plan on one of the U.S. government's highest priority nuclear proliferation threats. The transfer of 48 kg of highly-enriched uranium in about 5,000 rods took place under full International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and with the outstanding cooperation of Serb and Yugoslav officials. The United States congratulates these governments for their clear understanding of the risks associated with continued storage of this material at the now-closed Vinca nuclear research reactor facility and their assistance in packing, transportation and security. The uranium, provided to Yugoslavia by the former Soviet Union, has safely arrived at the Ulyanovsk Nuclear Processing Plant in the Russian Federation. The United States has provided nearly $3 million in funding for this project. About $2 million came from the State Department's Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund for packing, transportation and security. The Department of Energy provided funds and technical expertise associated with blending down the materials. Key to the project's success was a donation of $5 million from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a nongovernmental organization foundation co-chaired by Ted Turner and Senator Sam Nunn. NTI funds address radiological hazards and were essential to the successful transfer. Projects of this kind require specialized training and experience. The U.S. anticipates that Yugoslav scientists and technicians that are taking part in this project have gained useful experience that will enable them to participate in similar projects in the future. |
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