U.S., Ukraine sign bioterror agreement

Published: 4 September 2005 y., Sunday

The United States and Ukraine signed a joint agreement here Monday designed to stem the threat of bioterrorism by placing modern safeguards on deadly pathogens and other material dating from a Soviet-era biological weapons program that now could be vulnerable to theft.

"The agreement has a benefit for the citizens of both countries," said Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who has been working several years to achieve the U.S.-Ukraine accord.

As Lugar and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., met with Ukrainian leaders and participated in a signing ceremony for the biological weapons agreement, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a rare written apology to the senators for detaining them more than three hours Sunday as they tried to leave Russia for Ukraine.

There was no immediate explanation for the delay, but Moscow officials agreed to meet with their U.S. counterparts to discuss why American planes have repeatedly encountered difficulties leaving Russia. The ministry said the U.S. plane technically had not been detained, but a spokesman added, "We regret the misunderstanding that arose and the inconvenience caused to the senators."

Lugar did not dwell on the plane incident after leaving Russia and arriving in Kiev. Instead he sought to draw attention to the freshly minted agreement that effectively expands the Nunn-Lugar Act of 1991 to allow the United States to help protect Ukraine's biological weapons.

Šaltinis: KRT
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

Chinese women sexiest

Males the world over regard China's liberated women as most sexy while the booming Communist nation is ranked fourth as "the most sexy country." more »

The unedited film

Lost footage of John Lennon has been uncovered by documentary makers, showing him clowning around with Mick Jagger more »

Beatle’s Guitar Fetches £289,000 at La Auction

A guitar played by the late George Harrison during the Beatles’ last public performance has been sold for £289,000 in a public auction more »

An improved version

Robot shows stiff Czech PM how to loosen up a bit more »

Berlusconi at Turkish wedding

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been in Turkey, but not on business or political affairs more »

Smart mob storms London

The flash mob phenomenon has hit London more »

KAZAKHSTAN: Golden eagle offers hope

A golden eagle and its handler more »

Thirsty Norwegians set new record

Norwegian drinkers knocked back more alcohol in 2002 than at any point in the past hundred years more »

Love rules at Berlin parade

Germany's capital has come alive to the sound of techno music as the famous Love Parade returns to Berlin for another year more »

Norway is best place to live in: UN report

Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands ranked as the best countries in which to live, in the 2003 UN Human Development report more »