Norway and the US sign nuclear non-proliferation agreement

‘Norway and the US have a long history of cooperating on non-proliferation of nuclear material. The agreement we have now signed will in the first instance make it possible to assist Ukraine in securing its radioactive material,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende. 

Norway and the US have signed a framework agreement on cooperation in the areas of non-proliferation, counterterrorism and nuclear security. The agreement is designed to make it easier to identify, secure and remove nuclear material and to uncover smuggling of this kind of material across national borders. The agreement was signed by Foreign Minister Børge Brende and US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz in Washington on Monday, 16 June.  

‘This agreement will strengthen our partnership with the US in the field of non-proliferation of nuclear material,' Mr Brende said.  

The first projects to be implemented under the new agreement will be to assist Ukraine in securing  radioactive material in the country and to strengthen border controls in order to prevent smuggling. 

‘It is in Norway’s interest to provide assistance to Ukraine, together with our close allies, so that we can prevent nuclear material from falling into the wrong hands and being used for terrorist purposes,’ Mr Brende said. 

Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague in March 2014 that Norway would strengthen cooperation with the US in the area of non-proliferation. Our nuclear security cooperation with Ukraine is a direct result of this. Norway will provide funding through its Nuclear Action Plan.    

During Foreign Minister Brende’s visit to Washington, expert-level meetings were also held on cooperation with the US Department of Energy to put in place border surveillance equipment at some of the border stations on the Ukraine-Moldova border.