Mexico agrees to give up highly enriched uranium
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
The nations of North America said they will work to eliminate highly enriched uranium from Mexico’s research reactors, an effort to protect against the proliferation of nuclear materials, the White House announced on Tuesday.
The agreement was announced on the second day of the nuclear summit, a centerpiece of the Obama administration’s recent efforts to curb nuclear weapons and their spread. Highly enriched uranium is needed to produce a weapon.
“The conversion of the reactor’s use of highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium fuel will enable the elimination of all the remaining highly enriched uranium from Mexico. This effort ... will further strengthen nuclear security on the North American continent,” according to the statement.
The conversion will be carried out with the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The move shows “the strong commitment of Mexico to prevent and suppress nuclear terrorism,” Mexico President Felipe Calderon stated. “With this kind of cooperation with the IAEA and our North American partners, we definitely contribute to reducing the risks associated with illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.’
President Obama welcomed the move and called it “a signal of our strong trilateral partnership, and our shared commitment to nuclear security in North America.’
-- Michael Muskal
