OSLO, Norway, June 19 (UPI) -- The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has urged global action to minimize commerce in highly enriched uranium, a main ingredient in nuclear weapons production.
"In recent years, the security and non-proliferation concerns associated with the potential uses of HEU for malicious and terrorist purposes have further highlighted the importance of this work," Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday through a special assistant at a conference in Oslo, Norway.
Highly enriched uranium is defined as having been enriched by 90 percent or more and can be used to make nuclear weapons.
There are 100 civilian facilities worldwide that use the material, including research reactors that were established in the 1950s and 1960s and have played a central role in the development of nuclear technology for energy purposes.
Many experts agree reactors that use highly enriched uranium can be converted to run efficiently on uranium that has been enriched less than 90 percent, thus reducing proliferation risks while continuing to ensure a secure and effective path for nuclear research for purely energy purposes.
ElBaradei also reiterated his call for all enrichment operations to be brought under the control of a multinational body, making it far more difficult for any country to divert enriched uranium for use in weapons.
"By investing in these measures, we could alleviate proliferation concerns associated with the continued uses of HEU and reduce substantially the risk of nuclear terrorism," the statement said.
