Kuwait, US sign cooperation agreement

Kuwait's General Administration of Customs and the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) have signed a cooperation agreement, setting up efforts to ban trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials. The signing came on the sidelines of the Amir HH Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's visit to Washington.

Director General of Kuwait's Administration of Customs, Jamal Al-Jalawi, said, "The cooperation agreement signing came as a result of lengthy discussions with the American side with a vital input in the fight against illicit trafficking of radioactive materials," Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

Al-Jalawi added that the agreement requires the American side to present assistance in this field to support the Kuwaiti Administration of Customs in the fight against transnational radioactive materials, in view of NNSA's exceptional experiences.

He pointed out that this part of the agreement benefits Kuwait in increasing its equipment to detect radioactive materials, qualifying Kuwait as one of the developed countries at the forefront of the fight against these hazardous substances.

The cooperation agreement will present US contributions on combating radioactive materials, not only in Kuwait International Airport, but also in seaports and land borders.