Letters & Speeches
Remarks by Charge d'Affaires James R. Moore for the
DOE Megaports Visit by a Senior Bangladeshi Delegation
June 11, 2009, Colombo Port
Secretary Silva
Friends from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority
Members of the delegation from Bangladesh
Colleagues from the United States
Good morning.
It is an really is an honor and pleasure to join you today.
The U.S. Embassy is proud of the outstanding cooperation between our Sri Lankan friends who manage the port of Colombo and our colleagues from the Megaports Initiative.
For that reason, we are happy to have this chance to welcome port officials from Bangladesh for this visit.
I would like to say a special thank you to the Government of Sri Lanka and our colleagues here at the port for helping to facilitate this visit. Your cooperation is a testament to Sri Lanka’s close relations with both United States and with Bangladesh.
I should mention that another important connection between our three countries is that Patricia Butenis, who served previously as our Ambassador to Bangladesh, has been nominated by President Obama to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka.
The U.S. Government takes the issue of port security very seriously. Since 9/11, we have taken several measures to work more closely with foreign governments in an effort to discourage the transshipment of banned items to the United States and around the globe.
As part of this endeavor, we created the Megaports Initiative to prevent terrorists from acquiring, smuggling, and using dangerous nuclear materials to develop weapons of mass destruction or radiological dispersal devices that could be used against our country or yours.
We believe it is critically important to do as much as we can to counter such efforts because a single nuclear or radiological incident at one port would also affect global shipping and could adversely impact nearly every major economy in the world.
The United States greatly values the outstanding cooperation we have received from Sri Lanka Customs, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, and the Atomic Energy Authority over the last five years. Since late 2005, the Megaports System has operated continuously, screening well over 15 million containers for radioactive cargo.
The Port of Colombo has been one of the brightest success stories for the Megaports Program. The key to this success has been the willingness of key people in the port to take responsibility for the operation of the system.
One especially notable success here was the discovery in January 2008 of a discarded neutron source in a load of heavy iron scrap. All of the correct procedures were followed by Customs, the Port Authority, and the Atomic Energy Authority, and the source was returned to the port of origin in full compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency procedures.
As you tour the Colombo port today, I hope that, in addition to discussing the overall Megaports Initiative strategy, workflow issues, staffing, and secondary inspections, you may conclude that the Megaports Initiative would enhance Bangladesh's ability to increase security in the global maritime shipping system and to protect the global economic stability.
I wish a productive and successful day at the port, and a very enjoyable stay in Colombo.
Thank you.