Prime Minister: The Czech Republic is a world leader in nuclear security

At the invitation of US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka took part in the Nuclear Security Summit held from 31.3. to 1.4.2016 in Washington. At the Summit, the Czech Republic offered technical assistance to other countries and voluntarily undertook commitments beyond the joint communiqué. In fringe meetings, the Prime Minister met the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Switzerland.

The Nuclear Security Summit is the political culmination of a process which builds on the speech made by US President Obama in Prague in April 2009 at the time of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council. The main objective of this and the previous three similar summits is to contribute to the prevention of nuclear terrorism by effectively securing nuclear materials throughout the world.

“The Czech Republic has been a participant in these summits since the start of this initiative in 2010. It was also one of the first countries to completely remove highly enriched uranium from its territory, for which it was acknowledged together with 16 other countries at the Nuclear Industry Summit which took place concurrently with the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington”, said Prime Minister Sobotka.

At the plenary session, the Prime Minister repeated that the Czech Republic is ready to provide technical assistance to other countries on the elimination of highly enriched uranium. In the past, the Czech Republic has provided such help to, for example, Hungary, Poland and the Ukraine.

According to the latest study by the independent Nuclear Threat Initiative, the Czech Republic is in the top ten out of 152 countries being monitored for the security of nuclear materials.

“Beyond the commitments which we have jointly undertaken with other participating countries and organisations in the joint communiqué, the Czech Republic has voluntarily committed to a further 12 specific activities to strengthen nuclear security”, Prime Minister Sobotka announced.

This year’s Washington Summit is the last meeting at the highest level of heads of states and governments. The series of summits on nuclear security has achieved a reinforcement of international standards for nuclear security, thereby meeting the overwhelming majority of the original commitments undertaken 6 years ago at the historic first summit in Washington. The whole agenda now transfers to the form of a more permanent mechanism at working level with five international organisations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations and Interpol.

The Nuclear Security Summit started with a working dinner at the White House on the topic of Nuclear Security Threat Perceptions on Thursday 31 March 2016 and continued the following day with a plenary session and working lunch, during which the participants discussed steps at national and international level aimed at further strengthening of nuclear security.

Prime Minister Sobotka met on the sidelines of the summit with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and President Johann Schneider-Ammann of the Swiss Confederation.