Jordan, US cooperate to strengthen counter nuclear smuggling capabilities
Date
10/28/2015 8:00:03 AM
(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency) -U.S. and Jordanian officials met October 25 in Amman to advance bilateral cooperation on preventing, detecting, and responding to nuclear smuggling, a statement by the US embassy in Amman said Tuesday.
The meeting was led on the U.S. side by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation Programs Simon Limage and on the Jordanian side by Jordan's Representative to the Nuclear Security Summit and Ambassador to France, Ambassador Makram Queisi The meeting was led on the U.S. side by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation Programs Simon Limage and on the Jordanian side by Jordan's Representative to the Nuclear Security Summit and Ambassador to France, Ambassador Makram Queisi.
Recognizing the importance of a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to countering nuclear smuggling, several Jordanian ministries and corresponding U.S. agencies, including the Department of State, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission , participated in the meeting.
The delegations exchanged views on nuclear smuggling and identified areas in which the two governments might work together, the statement added.
Given international seizures of weapon-usable nuclear material over the last 20 years, which suggest that additional materials could be available in illegal circulation, the delegations noted the importance of continued vigilance to ensure these dangerous materials do not fall into the hands of terrorists or other criminals.
Both sides,the statement said, pledged their continued commitment to work together on these issues and identify opportunities for further collaboration.
Jordan has been a strong leader on international efforts to counter nuclear smuggling. During the 2012 and 2014 Nuclear Security Summits, Jordan presented a Statement of Activity and Cooperation to Counter Nuclear Smuggling, signed by 20 countries. The Kingdom has also undertaken to coordinate an updated Statement at the 2016 Summit in Washington, DC, it added.
In support of the commitments outlined in the Statement of Activity, in February 2014 Jordan hosted a multi-country Counter Nuclear Smuggling Workshop and plans to do so again in November 2015, the statement concluded.
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