By Mike Nartker
Global Security Newswire

WASHINGTON — The White House announced earlier this week the addition of five new countries to an effort by the Group of Eight to help address WMD prolferation concerns in the former Soviet Union (see GSN, June 2).

Finland, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland have chosen to join the G-8 Global Partnership to Prevent the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, according to a White House fact sheet.  The partnership calls for G-8 members — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — to pledge $20 billion over 10 years to help fund nonproliferation projects, primarily in Russia.  The effort was launched at the 2002 G-8 summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

G-8 members are also set to begin new projects in Russia through the partnership, the White House said.  For example, France is expected later this year to launch three projects to help dispose of nuclear fuel and solid waste recovered from dismantled Russian submarines.  In addition, Germany is expected to begin this month new projects to help improve physical protection at 17 Russian sites housing fissile materials.

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