nuclear-news

Mrs Clinton is seeking an assurance from Burma’s leaders they are not receiving nuclear technologies from North Korea and wants them to agree to more vigorous inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to a senior State Department official.

US officials travelling with Mrs Clinton say there are no signs of a ”substantial” effort by Burma to develop nuclear weapons but they are worried by the increased pace of military contact with Pyongyang……..

It was reported that Mr Thein Sein spent much of the meeting giving a detailed 45-minute presentation about further change, including the adoption of international agreements on nuclear programs to allay suspicions about the Burma-North Korea weapons trade.

Burma insists that any nuclear-related activities are purely for civilian research purposes. But Senator Richard Lugar, the top Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said this week that resolving questions about Burma’s illicit nuclear research were fundamental to the US’s improved relations with Burma. A UN report released in November last year said North Korea was supplying banned nuclear and ballistic equipment to Burma as well as Iran and Syria. Burmese army defectors have claimed the country has been researching weapons of mass destruction since 2001.  http://www.smh.com.au/world/clinton-seeks-a-nuclear-surety-from-burma-20111201-1o98b.html#ixzz1fSBFMTcq