The US and Saudi Arabia sign agreement on peaceful nuclear energy

The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed a roughly 30-year agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation that includes the construction of AP1000 reactors in the kingdom.

Reuters reports this.

The document, known as the “123 Agreement”, is designed for 30 years and involves the construction of AP1000 reactors worth tens of billions of dollars. The project will be implemented by the American company Westinghouse, which is owned by Canada’s Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.

The deal also allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium and reprocess nuclear waste, both of which could potentially lead to nuclear weapons. However, unlike former US President Joe Bidenʼs plan, the deal does not include an Additional Protocol with surprise inspections by the IAEA.

The White House says the deal meets US non-proliferation requirements. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has previously said it would turn to China or Russia without US cooperation. The deal has already been sent to Congress. If it is not blocked within 90 session days, it will automatically enter into force.

Some experts have called on Congress to reject the document so as not to “open the door to nuclear proliferation in the Middle East even wider.” On the other hand, supporters of the agreement call it beneficial for both countries. Due to the long construction times for nuclear power plants and uranium enrichment infrastructure, the project could take many years to implement.

• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has repeatedly stated that the kingdom does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, but he has also suggested that Riyadh might take such a step if Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons.

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