The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism was set today to begin a three-day conference in the Kazakh capital of Astana, Interfax reported (see GSN, March 5).
"The event will be attended by more than 150 member countries of the global initiative, including its co-chairs, the United States and Russia, as well as the observers and international organizations," Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Askar Abdrakhmanov said.
Participants "will be discussing ways to improve the national terrorism combating systems, as well as issues relating to the sharing of information on prevention of illegal proliferation of nuclear materials," the spokesman said.
The initiative was established in 2006 and now involves more than 80 nations. It seeks to track down, safeguard and dispose of possible radiological and nuclear weapons materials (Interfax, Sept. 27).
"The global initiative is very intensively developing today, and what is especially important -- it didn’t turn into another 'talk club,'" ITAR-Tass quoted Russian Foreign Ministry adviser Oleg Postnikov as saying. "Both diplomats and those who encounter the solution of practical tasks in the field of opposing nuclear terrorism take part in discussion of problems in the professional language."
This week's meeting of the group would be the first to formally address funding of terrorist entities, Postnikov said.
"No concrete documents or solutions are expected to be adopted during the work of the conference," he said. "Our task [is] to get deeper into this problem, consider it step by step, and since there are representatives of different services engaged in the financial monitoring, we hope that they will be able to orient us in the necessary direction" (ITAR-Tass, Sept. 28).
Meanwhile, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao today issued a statement pledging their countries' to increase collaboration to block the spread of unconventional weapons and to promote arms control, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The two leaders, meeting in Beijing, also called for global efforts on nonproliferation and disarmament (Xinhua News Agency, Sept. 28).
"The event will be attended by more than 150 member countries of the global initiative, including its co-chairs, the United States and Russia, as well as the observers and international organizations," Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Askar Abdrakhmanov said.
Participants "will be discussing ways to improve the national terrorism combating systems, as well as issues relating to the sharing of information on prevention of illegal proliferation of nuclear materials," the spokesman said.
The initiative was established in 2006 and now involves more than 80 nations. It seeks to track down, safeguard and dispose of possible radiological and nuclear weapons materials (Interfax, Sept. 27).
"The global initiative is very intensively developing today, and what is especially important -- it didn’t turn into another 'talk club,'" ITAR-Tass quoted Russian Foreign Ministry adviser Oleg Postnikov as saying. "Both diplomats and those who encounter the solution of practical tasks in the field of opposing nuclear terrorism take part in discussion of problems in the professional language."
This week's meeting of the group would be the first to formally address funding of terrorist entities, Postnikov said.
"No concrete documents or solutions are expected to be adopted during the work of the conference," he said. "Our task [is] to get deeper into this problem, consider it step by step, and since there are representatives of different services engaged in the financial monitoring, we hope that they will be able to orient us in the necessary direction" (ITAR-Tass, Sept. 28).
Meanwhile, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao today issued a statement pledging their countries' to increase collaboration to block the spread of unconventional weapons and to promote arms control, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The two leaders, meeting in Beijing, also called for global efforts on nonproliferation and disarmament (Xinhua News Agency, Sept. 28).
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