The US and Saudi Arabia signed a historic cooperation agreement in the field of civil nuclear energy. The two countries' energy ministers approved the pact known as the 123 Agreement in Washington on Wednesday.
The US Department of Energy said the agreement provides the legal basis for a decades-long, multibillion-dollar partnership that will advance economic and strategic goals, including nuclear nonproliferation.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted that the agreement maintains the highest safety standards, saying, "These agreements uphold the highest nuclear safety and nonproliferation standards while drawing on the world's best nuclear technology and scientists, designed in the United States."
The pact will be submitted to Congress for review under Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act. Congress has 90 days to assess the agreement and, if necessary, block it with a joint resolution.
The Department of Energy expects the agreement to support US civil nuclear technology exports, create jobs at home, and deepen the strategic partnership between Washington and Riyadh. The Trump administration also emphasized that the agreement will expand opportunities for American companies in Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy sector and strengthen commercial ties.
The Wall Street Journal reported that, unlike the 2009 US-UAE agreement, the deal will allow Riyadh to conduct domestic uranium enrichment and will not require the kingdom to adopt the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Additional Protocol. These differences could raise concerns among some lawmakers.
