Thomas P. D’Agostino, head of the U.S. department of energy’s national nuclear security administration (NNSA), will arrive in Georgia on Sunday for a two day visit, the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi said.
During the meetings with government officials, including from the Interior Ministry, he will discuss the U.S.-Georgia cooperation “on improving Georgia's capabilities to combat nuclear smuggling,” the embassy said.
NNSA has been cooperating with the Georgian Border Police and Customs since 2005 in frames of Second Line of Defense Program, designed to help U.S. partner countries strengthen the capabilities to deter, detect and prevent illicit trafficking of nuclear materials.
Since then the U.S. is providing Georgia radiation detection equipment and sustainable training for screening at airports, seaports and its land border crossings. “Upon program completion, an estimated 98% of trans-border traffic will be screened for nuclear and other radioactive materials out of regulatory control,” the embassy said.
