National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator (NNSA) Jill Hruby and nonproliferation lead Corey Hinderstein visited Georgia in June, a nation the agency says is on the frontlines of nuclear-materials smuggling.
The semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear-weapons agency has “extensive ties” to Georgia, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and has worked in the country for more than 20 years on nuclear security topics and nonproliferation, including protection and removal of radioactive sources, radiation and nuclear detection, nuclear forensics, and the use of a decommissioned research reactor and hot cell facility to train International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors and analysts, the agency said in a July 5 statement.
“Georgia is a key partner in the region,” Hruby said. “Few countries can match its engagement on nonproliferation and nuclear security issues. I am especially impressed with their commitment to border security.”
Hruby and Hinderstein visited boundary and border crossings, including the Administrative Boundary Line at South Ossetia, which is a part of Georgian territory occupied by Russia since 2008.
NNSA officials “remain committed to providing the country with the radiation detection technology they need to secure the boundary line against radiological and nuclear smuggling threats,” the statement said.
Hruby and Hinderstein also visited the Sadakhlo crossing at the Georgia-Armenia border, which handles over a million travelers per year. NNSA has trained frontline officers of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs and provided detection systems to enhance security on this border.
“Being at the crossroads of the Caucasus requires constant vigilance,” Hinderstein said. “It’s impressive how our partners manage a mind-boggling amount of traffic while they look for a needle in a haystack. I’m glad they’re on the job.”
The two NNSA leaders also visited the decommissioned research reactor at the Georgian Institute of Physics, where they discussed legacy radiological issues and viewed a secure orphan source storage location.
During the visit, NNSA officials met with counterparts in Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Georgia Agency of Nuclear and Radiological Safety.
“Seeing is believing,” Hruby said after the trip. “From border patrol officers on the ground to government ministers at the top, it was clear to us that Georgia continues to be a strong U.S. partner in nuclear security and nonproliferation.”
Hruby and Hinderstein’s trip to Georgia followed a visit to the CTBTO Science and Technology Conference in Vienna, Austria, where Hinderstein discussed upcoming subcritical explosive tests planned at the Nevada National Security Site.