Officials from Russia and the United States met last week to discuss strategies for improving security in the transport of nuclear materials (see GSN, Oct. 19).
Participants met for three days in Kolontaevo, Russia to share best practices in training, equipping and operating security forces traveling with nuclear cargoes, according to a press release from the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration.
The workshop followed a similar session in March at Fort Chafee, Ark. It involved officials from the NNSA Material Protection, Control and Accounting Program and Russian transportation security officials from Atomguard, Rosatom and the Internal Affairs Ministry.
"The National Nuclear Security Administration's long-standing cooperation with Russia on critical nuclear security issues demonstrates a shared commitment to learning and collaboration," said NNSA Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator Kenneth Baker in a press release. "Working together to ensure the secure transport of nuclear materials is another way we can help meet the president's commitment to secure nuclear material."
Moscow and Washington have been jointly working on security of nuclear shipments since 1996. The United States, through last month, had provided Russia with 283 reinforced nuclear material shipment containers, 115 escort vehicles, 97 cargo trucks, 77 freight railcars and 25 guard railcars (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, Oct. 30).