Dutch sign agreement to help US, Kazakhstan ensure global security

News article | August 17, 2012

(Washington, D.C.) — The Netherlands has signed an agreement with the US and Kazakhstan that sends a vehicle that can securely transport radiological material in the former Soviet republic.

Peter Mollema, Deputy Chief of Mission for the Dutch Embassy in Washington, D.C., reaffirmed the Dutch commitment to global security by signing the agreement on Aug. 15, sealing the arrangement with the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“This partnership with the United States and Kazakhstan shows the importance of countries joining forces to fight nuclear and radiological terrorism around the world,” Mollema said. “We must look beyond our own borders to face this continued global threat. The Dutch are committed to a secure and stable world.”

The procurement of the secure transportation vehicle is made possible by a contribution from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), that was announced in May 2011.

In addition, the Dutch contribution has funded a secure vehicle for Kazakhstan’s Mangyshlak Atomic Energy Complex, a search-and-secure training course for officials from the Kazakh Ministry of Industry and New Technologies to identify and secure vulnerable radiological sources, and radiological characterization and identification equipment.

The remaining funds under this agreement will support efforts to search for and recover orphaned radiological sources at sites identified by the Government of Kazakhstan.

The Dutch-funded projects provide an immediate security and safety benefit and ensures Kazakhstan has the tools and skills to identify, secure and remove radiological material in the future.

To learn more about the project, click here.