U.S. leadership was critical in achieving the Agreed Framework with North Korea and in extending the Non-Proliferation Treaty. It will be essential if we are to conclude a CTBT in 1996. Over the past few years, we have succeeded in achieving dramatic reductions in nuclear weapons. But as a result, we have rendered excess hundreds of tons of weapons-usable uranium and plutonium. At the Moscow Summit, we agreed among the P-8 to work more closely to keep nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands.
Prevention is the most important first step.
The P-8 called for greater international cooperation to strengthen physical security for nuclear materials and to put effective accounting systems in place. U.S. assistance provides the foundation for this cooperation. These facilities include some highly sensitive Russian weapons laboratories. The Russians are installing everything from upgraded locks and video monitors to sophisticated computer-based radiation detection systems. This project is now on track, thanks in part to intensive high-level attention.