Belarus/elimination of stocks of highly-enriched uranium - Statement by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Spokesman

On the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Summit in Astana, Belarus announced her decision to eliminate her entire stock of highly-enriched uranium by the next Nuclear Security Summit scheduled to be held in 2012.

France welcomes this initiative, the effective implementation of which will contribute to strengthening nuclear security and the fight against proliferation, issues on which we have long been mobilized.

France reiterates her support for the goal of minimizing the use of highly-enriched uranium in reactors once the necessary conditions regarding technical and economic feasibility have been fulfilled. In this regard, she plays an active role in the programme, launched by the United States, to convert research reactors operating on highly-enriched uranium to reactors that operate on low-enriched uranium. France, who is also conducting a major programme to develop a high-density fuel as an alternative to highly-enriched uranium, has already participated, through AREVA, in the conversion of a dozen research reactors worldwide.

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