    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [May 20, 1991]
    [Pages 525-526]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    White House Fact Sheet on the United States-German Nuclear Energy Safety
    Initiative
    May 20, 1991

    Technical Assistance for Central and Eastern Europe

        The President and Chancellor Kohl announced today that the United
    States and Germany will offer joint technical assistance programs to
    enhance nuclear energy safety in Central and Eastern Europe. This
    initiative was prompted by their shared commitment to the safe operation
    of peaceful nuclear facilities worldwide, as well as by requests from
    Central and Eastern European Governments for assistance in nuclear
    energy safety.
        As technological leaders in the field, the United States and Germany
    will offer joint assistance to Central and Eastern Europe as well as
    working through the and with the International Atomic Energy Agency
    (IAEA) in Vienna. Cooperation will focus initially on safety matters
    related to older reactors operating in the region, with the primary
    objective of enhancing operational safety at these facilities. Both
    sides anticipate that this initially modest program will lay the
    foundation for further U.S.-German joint efforts with Central and
    Eastern Europe, as part of their broader commitment to the success of
    these new democracies.

    [[Page 526]]

        The IAEA is now engaged in a comprehensive safety review of first
    generational nuclear reactors in Central and Eastern Europe. The United
    States and Germany will provide teams of experts and contribute up to
    $200,000 each in support of this work, which will focus on
    instrumentation and control, operating procedures, fire protection, and
    facility management and organization. The United States and Germany also
    support follow-on measures to the IAEA safety review in key areas such
    as operator training, power plant maintenance, and safety procedures,
    and have agreed to matching financial commitments of up to $1 million
    each over the next 2 years to help fund these activities.
        In addition, the United States and Germany will work closely with
    the World Bank and the newly created European Bank for Reconstruction
    and Development to encourage a priority focus on safety and
    environmental concerns in their energy-related lending programs. This
    could include, for example, funding for alternative sources of
    electricity to cover energy demands while safety repairs are performed
    at nuclear power plants. Both sides will also work to promote energy
    efficiency and adequate supplies of energy resources in these countries,
    and they will work jointly through the Organization for Economic
    Cooperation and Development, the Nuclear Energy Agency, and the
    International Energy Agency to promote nuclear energy safety in Central
    and Eastern Europe.

    Coordination of Bilateral Programs With the Soviet Union

        The President and Chancellor Kohl also agreed to coordinate their
    existing programs of nuclear operational safety cooperation with the
    Soviet Union. The U.S. program, which commenced with a U.S.-Soviet
    agreement signed on March 16, 1990, is being implemented under a
    longstanding U.S.-Soviet Memorandum of Cooperation on Civilian Nuclear
    Reactor Safety. The program emphasizes improved operational safety
    practices through strengthened operating instructions, training, and
    management and operational controls.