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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 6, 2009
Statement by Press Secretary Dana Perino
Today, in Vienna, the United States Mission to the International Organizations deposited the instrument of ratification for the Protocol Additional to the Agreement between the United States of America and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards in the United States of America ("The Additional Protocol"). The President signed the instrument on December 30, 2008. By accepting the Additional Protocol, states provide far greater transparency for their nuclear activities. Specifically, the Additional Protocol strengthens IAEA safeguards by requiring states to provide broader declarations to the Agency about their nuclear programs and nuclear-related activities and by expanding the access rights of the Agency. The President's action gives us a stronger foundation from which to encourage other states to adopt the Protocol. The President has spearheaded international efforts to bring about universal adoption of the Additional Protocol. To date, 118 countries have signed an Additional Protocol and 89, including the United States, have ratified it.
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