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Alexander Yakovenko, the Spokesman of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Answers a Russian Media Question at May 27, 2004 Press Conference Regarding
Global Threat Reduction Initiative Announced by US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Daily News Bulletin
May 28, 2004

Question: How could you comment on the Global Threat Reduction initiative announced yesterday by US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham which provides for the retrieval of research reactor fuel that was supplied by the USSR and the United States to various countries in the past?

Answer: This initiative comes in the mainstream of the efforts being made by Russia and the United States to work out bilateral and multilateral measures for the purpose of diminishing the threat of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and reducing the presence of nuclear materials in nonnuclear countries.

In the past year, with the participation of the United States and the IAEA, Russia carried out the retrieval of research reactor fuel from Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and Libya.

Today the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency is signing an agreement with the US Energy Department on cooperation in this field. It is assumed that all the fresh research reactor fuel of Soviet origin will be taken out to Russia by the end of the next year.