The Australian Foreign Ministry's press release says that more than 40 decommissioned nuclear submarines, which are moored at Russia's Far Eastern ports, present a potential threat in the context of nuclear-weapons non-proliferation and environmental protection. Australia, which helps implement the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), will act together with Japan and Russia within the framework of the relevant agreement concerning such work in the Russian Far East, the document goes on to say.
According to Downer, the destruction of old Russian nuclear submarines is perceived as a top-priority issue in coping with the proliferation of mass-destruction weapons. This will reduce the danger of exporting nuclear-submarine fuel to other countries, Downer stressed.
