    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 25 (Monday, June 21, 2004)]
    [Pages 1089-1090]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Notice--Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Risk
    of Nuclear Proliferation Created by the Accumulation of Weapons-Usable
    Fissile Material in the Territory of the Russian Federation

    June 16, 2004

        On June 21, 2000, the President issued Executive Order 13159 (the
    ``Order'') blocking property and interests in property of the Government
    of the Russian Federation that are in the United States, that hereafter
    come within the United States, or that are or hereinafter come within
    the possession or control of United States persons that are directly
    related to the implementation of the Agreement Between the Government of
    the United States of America and the Government of the Russian
    Federation Concerning the Disposition of Highly Enriched Uranium
    Extracted from Nuclear Weapons, dated February 18, 1993, and related
    contracts and agreements (collectively, the ``HEU Agreements''). The HEU
    Agreements allow for the downblending of highly enriched uranium derived
    from nuclear weapons to low enriched uranium for peaceful commercial
    purposes. The Order invoked the authority, inter alia, of the
    International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq., and
    declared a national emergency to deal with the unusual and extraordinary
    threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States
    posed by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation
    of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of
    the Russian Federation.
        A major national security goal of the United States is to ensure
    that fissile material removed from Russian nuclear weapons pursuant to
    various arms control and disarmament agreements is dedicated to peaceful
    uses (such as downblending to low enriched uranium for peaceful
    commercial uses), subject to transparency measures, and protected from
    diversion to activities of proliferation concern. Pursuant to the HEU
    Agreements, weapons-grade uranium extracted from Russian nuclear weapons
    is converted to low enriched uranium for use as fuel in commercial
    nuclear reactors. The Order blocks and protects from attachment,
    judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial
    process the property and interests in property of the Government of the
    Russian Federation that are directly related to the implementation of
    the HEU Agreements and that are in the United States, that hereafter
    come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the
    possession or control of United States persons.
        The national emergency declared on June 21, 2000, must continue
    beyond June 21, 2004, to provide continued protection from attachment,
    judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial
    process for the property and interests in property of the Government of
    the Russian Federation that are directly related to the implementation
    of the HEU Agreements and subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Therefore, in
    accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50
    U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency

    [[Page 1090]]

    with respect to weapons-usable fissile material in the territory of the
    Russian Federation. This notice shall be published in the Federal
    Register and transmitted to the Congress.
                                                    George W. Bush
     The White House,
     June 16, 2004.

    [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., June 17,
    2004]

    Note: This notice was published in the Federal Register on June 18.