Nuclear Security Summit resolves to build alliance against nuclear terrorism

Enlarge image Chancellor Angela Merkel with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Barrack Obama at the Nuclear Security Summit. (© Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

From 13 - 14 April, 47 states came together in Washington for a Nuclear Security Summit to seek ways to combat the growing threat posed by the proliferation of nuclear material. The participating states committed to safeguard nuclear materials in order to keep them from falling into terrorists' hands. In a joint statement issued at the end of the summit, they called for highly enriched uranium and plutonium to be placed under better control within four years time. The security measures required would not limit the right of those states to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but it does call for the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) to be granted a stronger role in monitoring nuclear safety.

Germany is part of the worldwide alliance against nuclear terrorism. "This is a first, important step to react to new, so far unknown threats," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

Enlarge image Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (© picture-alliance/dpa) Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also welcomed the “strong and responsible message” sent by Washington and called for further progress in the disarmament sphere. At the end of the Washington Nuclear Security Summit he issued the following statement in Berlin:

"The Washington summit sends a powerful and responsible signal that the uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear material and technology must be stopped.

Work on concrete progress towards disarmament and non-proliferation must now continue, because these are two sides of the same coin.

We have an ambitious programme of work ahead – at the Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers next week in Tallinn we will also discuss the issues of nuclear strategy and disarmament. The question at hand is what NATO as an alliance can do to help achieve disarmament progress without jeopardizing our security.

At the beginning of May the important Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference takes place. We will do all we can to ensure that this Conference is a success and that it helps strengthen the global non-proliferation regime."