For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 2, 2003
Stopping Spread of WMD Fact Sheet
Broadening the Partnership to Stop the Spread of Weapons of Mass
Destruction
Presidential Action
Today, President Bush welcomed the decisions of Norway, Poland,
Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden to join the Global Partnership Against
the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.
The President also welcomed the progress made in significant
Global Partnership projects to reduce and prevent the
proliferation of weapons and materials of mass destruction, and weapons
delivery systems.
Progress Since Kananaskis: The Global Partnership, which focuses
on nonproliferation, disarmament, counterterrorism, and nuclear safety
projects in the former Soviet states, was launched at last year's G-8
Summit in Kananaskis. It has since:
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Obtained pledges for much of its $20 billion goal. Implemented
frameworks and new projects, including: The United States began
construction in March of the chemical weapons destruction facility
at Shchuch'ye, which will destroy Russian nerve-agent-filled weapons.
- France plans to begin three projects in 2003 to deal with nuclear
fuel and solid waste from dismantled nuclear submarines.
- Germany expects to begin in June projects to increase physical
protection at 17 sites storing fissile material.
- Japan and Russia reached agreement this year on a project for
dismantlement of general purpose nuclear submarines in the Far East.
- The United Kingdom began this year to construct the transformer
station for the Shchuch'ye facility.
- Broadened participation in the Global Partnership to non-G-8
countries to include Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden.
We look forward to the participation of other countries.
Building on that progress, the G-8 Leaders adopted an action plan
to expand project activities, to reach the Kananaskis financial
commitment, to resolve remaining implementation challenges, and to
broaden participation in the Global Partnership.
U.S. Leadership: The United States has been a driving force behind
the Global Partnership and looks forward to continuing this role during
its G-8 Presidency. This initiative builds on more than a decade of
cooperation between the United States and former Soviet states to
reduce weapons and materials of mass destruction stockpiles and to
prevent proliferation. From FY 1992 through FY 2003, the United States
allocated over $8 billion for these purposes, and President Bush has
requested another $1 billion for FY 2004, and has pledged a total of
$10 billion over the ten-year period through 2013.
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