Speeches

Remarks By U.S. Ambassador To Singapore Frank Lavin At The Radiation Detection (Megaport) Initiative Signing Ceremony March 10, 2005

David Huizenga and Wai Han

As Prepared For Delivery

Thank you Ms. Ong for your kind introduction. And special thanks to Immigration & Checkpoints Authority Commissioner Lock Wai Han for hosting us today.

I’m also delighted to welcome back to Singapore David Huizenga, of the Office of International Material Protection and Cooperation at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

This is the office that supports the Megaports Initiative, part of the U.S. Government’s program for identifying and intercepting illegal shipments of nuclear and other radioactive materials that could be used in a nuclear device or dirty bomb.

The agreement Commissioner Lock and I are signing today, on behalf of our respective governments, to deploy sophisticated radiation detection equipment at the Port of Singapore sends a clear message to terrorists: There will be no safe-havens for the smuggling of nuclear or radioactive material.

The United States and Singapore both recognize the need to remain vigilant against the threat posed by the trafficking of radioactive materials.

In the wake of 9/11, the United States has pursued a series of complementary initiatives intended to secure trade lanes into the United States and around the world.

With more than 80% of the global trade transported on water, and a third of all shipping flowing through the Malacca Strait, including half the world’s oil supply, we applaud Singapore for its strong support of many of these initiatives.

Singapore became the first operational Container Security Initiative port in Asia in March 2003, and joined the Proliferation Security Initiative as a core participant in September 2003. Today, it becomes the first port in Southeast Asia to take part in the Megaports Initiative.

Singapore’s government and businesses have similarly cooperated with their U.S. counterparts on other initiatives such as the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, Operation Safe Commerce, and the U.S. Coast Guard’s International Port Security Program.

This robust network of security initiatives will prevent terrorists from using the global trading system to transfer arms, to move WMD-related material or delivery systems, or to carry out attacks.

These initiatives have an important economic dimension as well. They make Singapore even more attractive as a commercial port, known not just for being vigilant about its own security, but also the security of the onward destination port. That’s a reputation few other places can match.

Singapore is a valued partner in, and major contributor to, the war on terrorism. The agreement we sign today serves as another example of the excellent cooperation between Singapore and the United States, and will further our mutual nonproliferation and anti-terrorist efforts.

Thank you.