US, Saudi Arabia sign landmark nuclear power agreement
The multibillion-dollar agreement will now undergo congressional review, with expected provisions on uranium enrichment likely to draw scrutiny from some lawmakers.
WASHINGTON — The United States and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement on Wednesday.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the deal, known as a 123 Agreement, alongside a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement, the Department of Energy announced.
"Together, these two agreements lay the legal foundation for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership that advances several priority economic and strategic objectives, including nuclear nonproliferation," the Department of Energy announced in a statement.
The statement mentioned no specific safeguards that were agreed upon, but US officials said the deal upholds the "highest standards" of nuclear safety.
"Rest assured, these agreements uphold the highest standards of nuclear safety and nonproliferation while relying on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed right here in the United States," Wright said.
The agreement establishes the legal framework for civilian nuclear cooperation between the two countries and will next be transmitted to Congress for review under Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act.
The Trump administration said the deal would expand opportunities for American companies in Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy sector while strengthening US-Saudi commercial ties.
The agreement is expected to support US exports of civilian nuclear technology, create jobs in the United States and deepen the strategic partnership between Washington and Riyadh, the department said.
The deal will now head to Congress, which has a 90-day review period under the Atomic Energy Act to examine the agreement and, if it chooses, attempt to block it through a joint resolution of disapproval.
Unlike the US-UAE civilian nuclear agreement signed in 2009, which has long been regarded as the gold standard for nuclear cooperation, the Saudi deal is expected to allow Riyadh to pursue domestic uranium enrichment following a joint two-year US-Saudi study and will not require the kingdom to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
Those differences may spark concern among some lawmakers.
