For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 13, 2001
Notice
Continuation of Emergency with Respect to Property of the
Russian Federation Relating to the Disposition of Highly
Enriched Uranium Extracted from Nuclear Weapons
On June 21, 2000, President Clinton issued
Executive Order 13159 (the "Order") blocking property and interests in
property of the Government of the Russian Federation that are in the
United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that
are or hereinafter come within the possession or control of U.S.
persons that are directly related to the implementation of the
Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and
the Government of the Russian Federation concerning the disposition of
highly enriched uranium extracted from nuclear weapons, dated February
18, 1993, and related contracts and agreements (collectively, the "HEU
Agreements"). The HEU Agreements allow for the downblending
of highly enriched uranium derived from nuclear weapons to low enriched
uranium for peaceful commercial purposes. The Order invoked
the authority, inter alia, of the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq., and declared a national emergency
to deal with the threat to the national security and foreign policy of
the United States posed by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by
the accumulation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material
in the territory of the Russian Federation.
A major national security goal of the United
States is to ensure that fissile material removed from Russian nuclear
weapons pursuant to various arms control and disarmament agreements is
downblended to low enriched uranium for peaceful commercial uses,
subject to transparency measures, and protected from diversion to
activities of proliferation concern.
Pursuant to the HEU Agreements, weapons-grade
uranium extracted from Russian nuclear weapons is converted to low
enriched uranium for use as fuel in commercial nuclear
reactors. The Order blocks and protects from attachment,
judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial
process the property and interests in property of the Government of the
Russian Federation that are directly related to the implemen-tation of
the HEU Agreements and that are in the United States, that hereafter
come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the
possession or control of United States persons.
The national emergency declared on June 21,
2000, must continue beyond June 21, 2001, to provide continued
protection from attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution,
garnishment, or other judicial process the property and interests in
property of the Government of the Russian Federation that are directly
related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements and subject to U.S.
jurisdiction. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d)
of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing
the national emergency with respect to weapons-usable fissile material
in the territory of the Russian Federation. This notice
shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the
Congress.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 11, 2001.
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