Norway, U.S. sign MoU on nuclear non-proliferation cooperation

Norway said on Friday it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States on nuclear non-proliferation cooperation and nuclear security.

The agreement, which was signed on Thursday in Washington D.C., on the margins of the Nuclear Security Summit, is designed to make it easier to identify, secure and remove nuclear material and to counter illicit trafficking across national borders, the Norwegian government said in a statement.

"Norway and the United States have a long history of cooperating on nuclear non-proliferation. The memorandum of understanding ... will in practice strengthen ongoing Norwegian efforts to assist Ukraine in securing its radioactive material and preventing it from falling into the wrong hands," Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg was quoted as saying.

"It is in Norway's interest to provide assistance to Ukraine, together with our close allies," she added.

The new MoU will further strengthen Norway's close cooperation with the United States and supplement the 2014 MoU entered into with the U.S. Department of Energy, according to the statement.

In addition to joint projects with the United States, Norway is participating in several large-scale nuclear safety projects through bilateral cooperation with the authorities in Ukraine, international initiatives, and in trilateral cooperation with Ukraine and Sweden. Endit