MOSCOW, July 13 (RIA Novosti) - The decision on countering the radioactive sources threat adopted by the Permanent Council of the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) testifies to productive interaction between the United States and Russia in counter terrorist efforts, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
The decision compiled by Russia and the United States and adopted on July 7, obliges 55 OSCE member states to "work towards following the guidance contained in the [IAEA] Code of Conduct for the development and harmonization of policies, laws and regulations on the safety and security of radioactive sources. They should also work towards acting in accordance with the Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources supplementary to the Code of Conduct on a harmonized basis."
Twenty-eight states, including Russia, said they would introduce effective control over the import and export of high-risk radioactive sources by the end of the year.
The Foreign Ministry said the decision points to "the OSCE's growing contribution to implementing the important task of international cooperation." The ministry said the International Atomic Energy Agency's code of conduct would be widely used in the OSCE, which would reduce the risks of radioactive sources falling into terrorists' hands.
