Category Archives: Topics

IAEA Nuclear Security Training Course Held in Kazakhstan

May 8, 2012

  1. The IAEA nuclear security training course funded by the Government of Japan was held in Almaty, the Republic of Kazakhstan from 16 through 20 April, 2012. Through the course, Kazakhstani participants deepened their understanding on the modern methodologies and international experiences in nuclear security. The course program was developed based on the latest IAEA security recommendations and tailored to the specific needs of Kazakhstan.

  2. In November 2011, the Japan-Kazakhstan Committee on Cooperation for the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed the Implementing Arrangement concerning the Upgrade of Nuclear Security in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Under this Arrangement, the Committee contributed approx. 74 thousand euro to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund for the implementation of the above national training course on the physical protection of nuclear material and facilities in Kazakhstan.

  3. The importance of our cooperation was emphasized in the National Statement of Japan at the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in March 2012. It is our sincere hope that this training will strengthen the proficiency of experts in Kazakhstan and ensure the robust security measures against malicious acts involving nuclear material and its associated facilities.

 

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Signing Ceremony for Nuclear Security Projects in Kazakhstan

28 February 2012

  1. The signing ceremony on nuclear security projects of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which are funded by the Government of Japan, was held on 21 February, 2012 in Astana, under attendance of the Vice Minister for Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. B. Dzhaksaliev and two representatives of the Japan-Kazakhstan Committee on Cooperation for the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan: Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Kazakhstan H.E. Mr. Y. Harada and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Committee Dr. T. Zhantikin.

  2. At the ceremony Secretary-General of Japan-Kazakhstan Committee H. Sasaki signed the Financing contracts for strengthening the nuclear security system of the Ulba Metallurgical Plant and the Institute of Nuclear Physics, worth 337 million JPY (approx 4.3 million USD) and 89 million JPY (approx 1.1 million USD) respectively.

  3. In November 2011, the Japan-Kazakhstan Committee on Cooperation for the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed the Implementing Arrangement on this cooperation, and in the following month the Committee and the International Atomic Energy Agency also agreed to jointly implement the physical protection training course in Kazakhstan.

  4. This cooperation was already emphasized in the Japan’s National Statement at the first Nuclear Security Summit held in April, 2010 in Washington, and is expected to not only further strengthen the security measures in Kazakhstan but also contribute to the global efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism.

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Completion Ceremony of the Japan-Belarus Joint Project “Modernization of the System to Deter the Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials at State Borders of the Republic of Belarus”

October 20, 2011

  1. The completion ceremony of Japan-Belarus Joint Project “Modernization of the System to Deter the Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials at State Borders of the Republic of Belarus” was held in Minsk on 29 August, 2011, with the attendance of the representatives of the Japan-Belarus Committee on Cooperation for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the State Border Guard Committee of the Republic of Belarus, the European Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the leading radiation equipment manufacturers.

  2. During the ceremony and subsequent visit to the border areas, whole response process for radiation incidents utilizing the newly-established geo-informational radiation monitoring system was demonstrated to the participants and the media.
    It was also reported that more than 1600 people had been examined for the presence of radionuclide in their bodies with the mobile radiometric laboratory since its deployment to the Pinsk Border Guard Department in April this year.

  3. The swift implementation of the Project was highly appreciated by the Belarusian Government as well as other international bodies, all of which echoed the importance of synergy effect of various cooperation projects in combating illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials in the region.
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Completion ceremony Geo-informational radiation monitoring system
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Introduction of the mobile laboratories provided under the Project Search of the radiation source in the vehicle which triggered alarm
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Radiation portal monitors
at border checkpoints		 Search of the radiation source in the vehicle which triggered alarm
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Hand-held detector with pocket PC type radionuclide identifier provided under the Project Radiation incident response point established under the Project
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Logo of Japan-Belarus cooperation Interviews with local media

 

Handover of the Mobile Laboratories and Opening of the Specialized Classroom for Radiation Security under Japan-Belarus Joint Project “Modernization of the System to Deter the Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials at State Borders of the Republic of Belarus”

May 24, 2011

  1. On 25 April, 2011, the official handover ceremony on Japan-Belarus Project “Modernization of the System to Deter the Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials at State Borders of the Republic of Belarus” was held at the Border Guard Institute in Minsk, capital of Belarus.

  2. During the ceremony, four mobile laboratories and a specialized classroom for radiation security, established under the Project, were introduced to the Japanese delegation and the press.

  3. After the ceremony, the mobile laboratories were immediately relocated to their duty stations including Pinsk and Gomel Border Guard Departments near the Chernobyl-affected areas to respond to illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials and ensure radiation safety of the border guard staff and local population. The whole Project is expected to be completed in July.
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Four mobile laboratories and their crew Speeches by the government officials
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Ribbon cutting by the government officials Press interview
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Specialized class room for radiation security in the Border Guard Institute Radiation detectors and communication devices for response to radiological incidents at state borders (mobile operational response laboratory)
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Measurement of incorporated radionuclides of the border guard personal with the whole body counter (mobile radiometric laboratory) Analysis of food samples with the gamma radioactivity monitor (mobile radiometric laboratory)

 

Signing Ceremony of the Nuclear Security Project for Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technologies in Ukraine

11 May 2011

  1. The signing ceremony of the Japan-funded nuclear security project for the National Science Center Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technologies (NSC KIPT) was held on April 22, 2011 in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, with the attendance of the government officials.Secretary-General Hajime Sasaki, Technical Secretariat, Japan-Ukraine Committee on Cooperation for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in Ukraine, signed the Financing contract for implementation of the Project, total amount of which is 175 million Japanese yen at the ceremony.

    Earlier in January 2011, the Implementing Arrangement on this joint Project was signed between the Committee on Cooperation for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in Ukraine and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Also, the Project was mentioned in the “Joint Statement on Japan-Ukraine Global Partnership”, which was announced on the occasion of the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s visit to Japan in the same month.

  2. The NSC KIPT, being under IAEA safeguards since 1998, is the largest scientific institution in the field of research and development of nuclear and radiation technologies in Ukraine.

    Given the importance of the facility in the light of non-proliferation, the Japan-Ukraine Committee has decided to support the establishment of the mass-spectroscopy system for identification of the bulk-form nuclear materials, which have been kept in the Facility since the Soviet era, as well as the upgrade of the perimeter protection system for addressing the growing threats of terrorism. The assistance is also expected to bolster the country’s own efforts in strengthening nuclear security.

    This bilateral Project is a part of the global efforts under “the G8 Global Partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction” adopted at the Kananaskis Summit in 2002.

 

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Commencement of the Japan-Belarus Joint Project “Modernization of the System to Deter the Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials at State Borders of the Republic of Belarus”

July 16, 2010

  1. The Japan-Belarus Committee on Cooperation in the field of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (hereinafter the Japan-Belarus Committee) has decided to provide funds up to 90 million Japanese yen (approx. 1 million USD) for implementation of the Project “Modernization of the System to Deter the Illicit Trafficking of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials at State Borders of the Republic of Belarus”. The signing ceremony for the Project was held on July 2, 2010 in Minsk between the Japan-Belarus Committee and the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus (implementing organization).

  2. The Project is aimed at establishing comprehensive measures to detect, interdict and respond to the illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials at the state borders of the Republic of Belarus, including the following measures:
    1) organizing the immediate and efficient operational response to radiological incidents at the border checkpoints including the airport ones;
    2) facilitating the strategic response to radiological incidents with serious security and health concerns;
    3) supporting the integrated database of illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials at the borders;
    4) strengthening the radiation safety of the border guard staff engaged in patrol of the border areas contaminated by the Chernobyl catastrophe and the local inhabitants in the area;
    5) increasing the radiation detection capabilities at the local-traffic border checkpoints, water border sites, aviation patrol areas and “green borders” ;
    6) and enhancing the proficiency of the border guard specialists in radiation security and countermeasures against the illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials.
    (Note) Green borders: unattended areas between established border checkpoints.

  3. The major elements of the Project are as follows.
    1) Two mobile operational response laboratories equipped with advanced radiation detectors, spectrometers and communication devices will be provided to the Gomel and Pinsk Border Guard Departments.
    2) One mobile strategic operational response laboratory equipped with advanced radiation detectors, spectrometers and communication devices will be provided to the State Border Committee Headquarters in Minsk.
    3) One mobile radiometric laboratory furnished with a whole body counter and gamma radioactivity monitors will be supplied to the Pinsk Border Guard Department
    4) The state-of-art geo-information system for radiation monitoring will be introduced to the headquarters and 7 regional border guard departments.
    5) Advanced handheld radiation detectors will be provided for border radiation monitoring in 34 local-traffic checkpoints, water border sites, aviation patrol areas and “green borders”.
    6) Advanced radiation detectors and spectrometers will be supplied to the newly-established Border Guard Institute for training of the border guard specialists.
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Republic of Belarus Radiation detection at border checkpoints Green borders

The G8 Global Partnership Seminar in Tokyo

June 2005

  1. At the Akasaka Prince Hotel on June 7 in Tokyo, under the joint auspices of the Committee on Cooperation to Assist the Destruction of Nuclear Weapons Reduced in the Russian Federation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) of the United States, with support by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the G8 Global Partnership Tokyo Seminar for “making the world more secure” was held. Approximately one hundred twenty people participated in the seminar, not only interested parties from Japan and Russia, but also members of the G8, Norway, Australia, Korea, Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC), NGOs, and the mass media.

  2. At the conference, following the opening address by the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kawai, an ex-Senator of the United Sates, Senator Sam Nunn gave a keynote speech. The Japanese and Russian representatives of the General Affairs Commission, Ambassador Nomura and Mr. Antipov (Deputy Head of Federal Atomic Energy Agency), explained the present state of the denuclearization cooperation with Russia and the issues it is facing. Then a “Review of the Global Partnership” panel discussion was held with the frank exchange of opinions among interested countries and organizations, principally concerning the role the Global Partnership has had in promoting international security and cooperation. Following the afternoon presentation relating to the “cooperation for the dismantlement of Russian decommissioned nuclear submarines” and the “disposition of surplus plutonium” by representatives of interested countries and organizations, a general discussion including future prospects in the session named “Issues and the Future of the G8 Global Partnership” concluded the seminar.