WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United Kingdom will contribute $4 million to United States efforts to combat the spread of nuclear weapons and materials, a senior U.S. official announced today. This adds to the $45 million in international contributions from seven nations pledged to or collected by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to address nuclear proliferation threats around the world.

"We appreciate the opportunity to work together with our allies and other countries to advance our common international security goals," said NNSA Administrator Thomas D'Agostino. "These partnerships allow NNSA to make even more progress toward strengthening nuclear security and countering the threat of nuclear proliferation."

D'Agostino said that NNSA works to detect, prevent and reverse the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It does so through programs which seek to prevent the spread of nuclear materials, technology and expertise and to eliminate inventories of surplus nuclear and radiological material.

Contributions from other countries, whether financial or in-kind, help NNSA's programs succeed. NNSA has received support from many different countries, including:

• More than $31 million from Finland, Canada, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to shut down the last remaining weapons-grade plutonium production reactors in Russia.
• Nearly $2 million from Canada and the Republic of Korea to reduce and protect vulnerable nuclear and radiological materials located at civilian nuclear sites worldwide.
• Nearly $10 million from New Zealand, Canada and Norway to strengthen security at international land borders, seaports and airports that may be used as smuggling routes for nuclear or radiological materials.

D'Agostino and NNSA's Deputy Administrator for nuclear nonproliferation, William Tobey, recently returned from Europe where they briefed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on U.S. nonproliferation efforts, and solicited further contributions to U.S. nonproliferation programs.

Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a separately organized agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; works to reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the United States and abroad.

Media contact(s):
NNSA Public Affairs (202) 586-7371