Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomes closer cooperation with New Zealand

April 14, 2010

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today welcomed closer cooperation with New Zealand on nuclear non-proliferation, ongoing scientific polar research and people-to-people exchanges, following meetings with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key in Ottawa today.
 
“Today’s visit is an opportunity to renew the historic ties between Canada and New Zealand.  These ties are strong and growing,” said Prime Minister Harper.   “New Zealand has always been a steadfast friend to Canada and we are honoured to host the first Prime Ministerial visit in eleven years.”
 
Prime Minister Harper welcomed the announcement that New Zealand will support a Canadian-led project to upgrade the physical security of nuclear materials at six Russian facilities.  New Zealand’s contribution will help to provide the physical protection of equipment at a major Russian facility and help to better prevent the illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.
 
“Canada is proud to be working alongside New Zealand and other like-minded countries to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons falling into terrorist hands”, added Prime Minister Harper.  “In keeping with our G-8 commitments, we continue to roll out initiatives that will limit the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction.”
 
During their discussions, the Prime Ministers also agreed to build on scientific research in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and to establish fellowships to facilitate bilateral exchanges of politicians, business leaders and academics.
 
 

Backgrounder

CANADA’S INITIATIVES UNDER THE G-8 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
The possibility that terrorist groups or countries of proliferation concern may gain access to weapons of mass destruction or the materials and knowledge to create these weapons represents a real danger to domestic and international security.
 
In recognition of this threat, Canada took the lead at the G-8 in initiating a new, more concrete and coordinated approach to international cooperative threat reduction.
 
At the 2002 Kananaskis Summit, all G-8 members united to launch the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.  Over US$20 billion has been pledged to this program over a 10-year period.  As Chair of the G-8 in 2002, Canada reinforced its leadership on the initiative by committing $1 billion over 10 years, beginning in 2003.
 
Canada’s participation in the G-8 Global Partnership is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s Global Partnership Program (GPP).  To date, the GPP has spent more than $640 million of the $1 billion committed in 2002.  This includes more than $330 million to enhance nuclear security in Russia and other countries in the region by improving the physical security of nuclear facilities and nuclear materials in transport, strengthening border capacities to prevent illicit nuclear trafficking and dismantling decommissioned Russian nuclear submarines. 
 
The GPP is currently expanding its nuclear security activities worldwide with the following initiatives:
 

Nuclear Security Upgrades in Russia

Canada will continue to implement several ongoing projects, valued at C$105 million, to improve the security of Russia’s nuclear materials.  Key activities including critical upgrades to physical security at six major nuclear facilities, the provision of special vehicles to ensure the safe and secure transport of nuclear materials between Russian facilities and the recovery and replacement of a Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generator (which have radioactive heat sources) with solar panels as power sources for lighthouses along Russia’s Far East Coast.
 
Canada will also continue its ongoing work to defuel and dismantle decommissioned nuclear submarines in the Russian Far East. This announcement includes C$15.7 million for the dismantlement of two nuclear submarines in the Russian Far East and the defueling of a third nuclear submarine.
 

Mexico and Vietnam

Canada will assist with the removal of all HEU fuel from Mexico and Vietnam by supporting the conversion of two nuclear reactors to enable them to use low-enriched uranium, which is material that cannot be used in a nuclear explosive device.
 
Canada will provide funding to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) for these two projects.  Canadian funds ($5 million for the project in Mexico and $3 million for the project in Vietnam) will be used for activities related to the conversion, physical protection systems, and transportation of nuclear fuel to a safe and secure storage area.  These are the fifth and sixth cooperation projects between Canada’s Global Partnership Program and the GTRI.  The Mexican initiative was announced in a joint trilateral statement (Canada-U.S.-Mexico) at the Nuclear Safety Summit on April 13th.
 
Repatriation of U.S.-origin highly enriched uranium from Chalk River
 
Canada has a significant quantity of spent U.S.-origin highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel stored at the Chalk River National Laboratories.  Canada and the U.S. have agreed to cooperate in the repatriation of this U.S.-origin HEU fuel to the U.S. between 2010 and 2018.  It will be converted into a form unusable in nuclear weapons.  The return of the spent HEU fuel to the United States will result in increased security of this inventory and in significant cost savings over long-term management in Canada. 
 
Government support of this project of up to $65 million will be provided through the Government of Canada’s Nuclear Legacy Liabilities Program’s existing budget.  This initiative was announced on April 12th at the Nuclear Security Summit.
 

Nuclear Security Workshop

Canada will contribute C$20,000 as the co-sponsor of a major international workshop on International Best Practices for Nuclear Guard Force, Recruitment, Training, Deployment, and Exercise to be held in Collingwood, Ontario, from June 14 to 18.  The workshop will be hosted by the World Institute of Nuclear Security, a Vienna-based NGO which aims to strengthen nuclear security worldwide by facilitating the sharing and promotion of best practices among nuclear security experts, governments, international organizations and the nuclear industry.
 
The workshop will focus on best practices for on-site security guard force protection of facilities that house nuclear materials.  The workshop will bring together 100 nuclear industry experts from around the world for discussion and training to improve nuclear security capacity in the nuclear industry.
 

Training on Nuclear Security and Other Non-Proliferation Instruments

The Nuclear Security Summit communiqué calls on participating states to join and fully implement key nuclear security conventions and to help other states follow suit.  Canada will, through the Global Partnership Program, develop new projects related to legal, regulatory and practical training directed at select states to robustly implement existing instruments, especially in the Americas.  This work will also include relevant non-proliferation and disarmament frameworks including the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).  Canada has already co-hosted regional workshops on the CTBT in Jamaica and Mexico.