The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced a contribution of $5 million to upgrade security systems at airports and other border crossings in Ukraine to prevent nuclear terrorism. The announcement was made following a bilateral meeting between Minister MacKay and his Ukrainian counterpart, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, during Mr. Yatsenyuk’s visit to Canada.



“We are pleased to be working together with Ukraine on this endeavour,” said Minister MacKay. “To prevent nuclear terrorism, it is essential to upgrade security systems and address the legacy of risks left in countries of the former Soviet Union. The last opportunity to detect and deter the movement of these materials is often at international borders.”



This contribution is part of Canada’s commitment to the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, launched by the G8 in 2002 under Canada’s leadership. The Global Partnership addresses a number of non-proliferation, disarmament, counterterrorism and nuclear security issues, initially in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union. Canada has committed up to $1 billion over 10 years to the Partnership.



This project will be implemented through an agreement with the Second Line of Defense program of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. The U.S. Department of Energy has worked for nearly a decade to improve border security in several countries of the former Soviet Union.





For more information on the Global Partnership Program, visit http://www.globalpartnership.gc.ca.