NEW YORK, N.Y. -- In the most recent step in the Administration’s efforts to secure nuclear materials at potentially vulnerable sites in the world, the United States and Romania signed an implementing agreement today to accelerate the groundwork for future work on nuclear nonproliferation activities. 

U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Romanian Minister Delegate of the Commission for Nuclear Energy, Serban C. Valeca signed the “Implementing Agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nuclear Agency of Romania and the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control of Romania Concerning Cooperation in the Area of Countering the Proliferation of Nuclear Materials and Technologies.” The signing, which took place at the Romanian Consulate, was witnessed by Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, and Minister of National Defense Ioan Pascu. 

"This agreement provides yet another excellent opportunity for the United States and Romania to work together to reduce the threat of terrorism through the removal of proliferation-attractive material under the Global Threat Reduction Initiative," Secretary Abraham said.

The goal of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), announced by Secretary Abraham on May 26, 2004, in Vienna, Austria, is to identify, secure, remove, or facilitate the disposal of vulnerable nuclear and radioactive materials and equipment around the world that pose a threat to the international community as quickly and expeditiously as possible. International partners, such as the Government of Romania, will be key participants in this new initiative.

The Implementing Agreement signed by Secretary Abraham and Minister Delegate Valeca provides the framework for the Department of Energy to perform joint work supporting nuclear nonproliferation activities. As a result of the agreement, the United States will begin work under GTRI’s Russian Research Reactor Fuel Return (RRRFR) program to repatriate to Russia irradiated Soviet and Russian-origin fuel containing high-enriched uranium (HEU) from a research reactor in Romania. The Romanian government decided in 2002 to permanently shut down the Magurele reactor and prepare it for decommissioning. The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will assist with the removal of the irradiated nuclear fuel.

In September 2003, under the RRRFR program, Russia accepted approximately 14 kilograms of fresh Russian-origin HEU from Romania. The RRRFR program is an essential element in the President’s program to end the use of HEU in research reactors worldwide.

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