The US Department of Energy announced the signing of a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia.
The US Department of Energy announced that Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, known publicly as the '123 Agreement', along with an accompanying bilateral security agreement. The department stated that these two agreements form the legal foundation of a multi-billion dollar partnership that will last for decades, advancing various economic and strategic objectives, including the prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation.
The agreement is said to provide US companies with access to Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy program and support regional security by mandating high standards of nuclear safety. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, commenting on the matter, noted that the agreements reflect the determination of both countries to strengthen commercial relations, emphasizing that the process supports the highest nuclear safety and non-proliferation standards.
The text released by the department also recalled that this cooperation was implemented in line with US President Donald Trump's executive order titled 'Deployment of Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security', aiming to increase civilian nuclear exports. It was shared that the agreement will be sent to the US Congress for review.
