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Belarus announces suspension of uranium program with USA

Belarus has suspended a joint uranium replacement program with the United States in response to the newly imposed economic sanctions, which it views as unfounded and unlawful, Andrey Savinykh, spokesman for the Belarusian foreign ministry, said in a statement on Friday.

Under the program, the United States was to help Belarus replace its stocks of highly enriched uranium (HEU) with low enriched uranium (LEU).

On December 1, 2010, Belarusian Foreign Minister Syarhey Martynaw and US State Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton adopted a joint statement declaring that Belarus would give up its entire stockpile of HEU. Ms. Clinton said that Washington would provide technical and financial assistance to help the country eliminate the stockpile.

Mr. Savinykh denounced the new US sanctions against Belarus as politically motivated measures running counter to the US` international commitments.

“This decision also conflicts with the spirit of good neighborhood and constructive cooperation," he said. "Under the circumstances, the Belarusian side has decided to suspend talks with the US on joint HEU replacement projects considered in the framework of the US Energy Department’s initiative to reduce the global threat, as well as on the establishment of an MBA program school at Belarusian State University.”
“Belarus will continue to maintain the physical security of the nuclear fuel in full compliance with its international non-proliferation commitments,” he said.

“We also do not rule out the possibility of taking retaliatory measures,” Mr. Savinykh warned.

He added that Belarus would resume talks on the uranium replacement program only after the US lifted its economic sanctions. //BelaPAN