Timerman warns about South Atlantic nuclear threat

Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman ratified his government’s “commitment with nuclear safety” and warned about the continued dangers of “militarization in the South Atlantic Ocean.”

Timerman was speaking at International Atomic Energy's (IAEA) International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts, which opened in Vienna yesterday.

The Foreign Minister expressed his concern over “non-regional actors with military bases in the South Atlantic Ocean should continue not contributing the necessary information about the possible introduction of nuclear armament in this nuclear weapon free zone.”

“There can be no doubt that this is a situation of undeniable relevancy for the nuclear safety in the South Atlantic Ocean and in the world ', Timerman said in his speech.

Timerman and 33 ministers representing the countries with advanced nuclear technology, as well as delegations of 123 countries, met in the Austrian capital to work out joint policies aimed at strengthening nuclear safety.

Following the day’s talks, IAEA issued a ministerial statement in which they state that “despite the substantial progress in strengthening nuclear security in recent years, more needs to be done worldwide to defend against the threat of nuclear terrorism and other malicious acts involving nuclear or radiological material.”

The conference will analyse past and current efforts and consider how future challenges can best be met to ensure effective and sustainable nuclear security worldwide.

The Conference, which ends on Friday, includes representatives from 123 countries and 21 governmental and non-governmental organizations.

In his speech Timerman also emphasized that Argentina is among the group of “peace loving” countries with a firm commitment to the implementation of the “necessary actions to prevent the pacific use of nuclear energy being abused for weapons or for threatening others.”

“We know that the handling of nuclear technologies and, in particular, that of the finished cycle of nuclear fuel, demands not only scientific and technological excellence, but also an enormous zeal and responsibility in the handling of all the nuclear materials” he concluded.

Putin’s Lapdog Dmitry Medvedev visits Kuril Islands – 'important part of Russian land'

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, second from left, chairs a meeting in the Sakhalin Government House on the implementation of the Federal Program "Social and Economic Development of the Kuril Islands

PM Dmitry Medvedev – who arrived on the far-eastern Island of Kunashir on Tuesday – has stated that the Russian leadership “will continue the practice” of visiting the Kuril Islands.

“I’d like to underline that I consider visiting the Kurils by the Government of the Russian Federation crucially important. We have been doing it before and, naturally, this practice will be continued by the new Cabinet,” Medvedev said prior to his trip.

The reasons for that, “are quite clear: [the islands] are an important part of the Sakhalin region and an important part of the Russian land.”

The Japanese Foreign Ministry has voiced its protest over the visit and summoned the Russian Ambassador to Tokyo, Evgeny Afanasiev, to give an explanation.

Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba says the trip will 'pour cold water' over Japanese-Russian relations.

It is Medvedev’s second trip to Kunashir: he first visited in November 2010. The then-President became the first Russian leader to step foot on the Kuril Islands. The previous visit sparked fierce criticism from Tokyo – where it was dubbed “very regrettable.”

The Southern Kurils – comprising the islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, the Khabomai Rocks and Iturup – fell under Soviet control after WW2 and have since been considered Russian territory. Japan, however, insists the islands – known as the Northern Territories by the Japanese – belong to them.

Moscow’s stance is that it wants to maintain good relations with the neighbors, but Russia’s sovereignty over the islands is irrefutable – they are an integral part of the country.

In February 2011, the then-President Medvedev President ordered the deployment of weaponry to the Kuril Islands that could be sufficient to guarantee security of the region. He said though that the move was not targeted against Japan or any third country.

“This is just our land and military forces should be deployed there since this is the border,” he said. Such forces should be “reasonable and sufficient” and “no-one should consider it as some militaristic action.”

At the same time, Russia invited Japan to cooperate in the development of the economy of the Southern Kuril Islands.