U.S. and Finland to Cooperate in Prevention of Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

October 30, 2009

U.S. Ambassador Bruce J. Oreck and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Pertti Torstila

On October 30th in Helsinki, U.S. Ambassador Bruce J. Oreck and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Pertti Torstila signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" through which the Government of Finland will contribute funding to a U.S.-led program to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Kyrgyz Republic. Finland’s contribution will be used to provide radiation detection equipment to the Kyrgyz Republic to detect and deter nuclear smuggling across its international borders.

The project with the Kyrgyz Republic is part of the United States’ Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI) to assist particularly vulnerable countries to prevent the smuggling of nuclear and radioactive materials. Five countries currently receive assistance through the NSOI: Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic and Armenia. Tajikistan will be the next country to join the program. With its contribution, Finland joins eight other governments providing funding for the U.S-coordinated program.