| Press Statement Sean McCormack, Spokesman Washington, DC September 15, 2006 Signing of U.S.-Russian Plutonium Disposition Liability ProtocolThe United States and Russia today, September 15, 2006, signed a protocol that provides a framework for resolving liability issues for an important nonproliferation program to convert excess weapon-grade plutonium into forms unusable for weapons by terrorists or others. The protocol is a key step to enable cooperation between the two countries to convert 34 metric tons each of excess weapon-grade plutonium, totaling enough for more than 16,000 nuclear weapons. Eliminating this weapon-grade plutonium supports the President’s National Security Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction. The signing of this protocol also has significant benefits for other cooperative programs between the United States and Russia. Discussions in important nonproliferation and security areas are going forward on the basis of this new agreement. 2006/828
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