RP joins global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism

WASHINGTON — The Philippines committed itself to joining a global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism at the end of a Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.

Some 47 leaders from across the world including President Arroyo pledged to take national actions to increase nuclear security domestically or by working through bilateral or multilateral mechanisms to improve global security.

Their aim is to secure vulnerable nuclear materials and prevent illicit trafficking and smuggling to stop al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups from acquiring so-called “dirty nukes.”

“Because of the steps we’ve taken – as individual nations and as an international community – the American people will be safer and the world will be more secure,” US President Barack Obama said at the end of the two-day summit.

He said all the nations represented at the summit endorsed his goal to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in four years’ time.

Canada agreed to give up a significant quantity of highly enriched uranium, Chile has given up its entire stockpile and Ukraine and Mexico announced they would do the same.

Argentina and Pakistan announced new steps to strengthen port security and prevent nuclear smuggling.

“More nations including Argentina, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam agreed to join, and thus strengthen, the treaties and international partnerships that are at the core of our global efforts,” Obama said at a press conference.

Calling the danger of nuclear terrorism one of the greatest threats to global security, Obama said it was ironic that while the risk of nuclear war between nations has gone down, the risk of nuclear attack from terrorists has gone up.

Summit participants agreed in a communiqué to improve security and accounting of nuclear materials with a special focus on plutonium and highly enriched uranium and to reduce the use of the latter.

The State Department said the summit was the largest gathering of state and government leaders called by a US leader since the United Nations was founded in 1945.

The next nuclear security summit will be held in Seoul in 2012.

Immediately after the conference adjourned, Mrs. Arroyo motored to Capitol Hill to meet congressional leaders.

She conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank of Datu on Republican Sen. Richard Lugar in recognition of his steadfast friendship with the Philippines and the Order of the Golden Heart on Joseph Pitts, a Pennsylvania Republican, and Madeline Bordallo, a Guam Democrat, for their support of Philippine causes in the US House of Representatives.

Mrs. Arroyo attended a dinner in her honor hosted by Monique Barbut of the Global Environment Facility and Carter Roberts, executive officer of the Washington-based World Wildlife Fund (WWF), before heading to the airport for her flight to Spain.