Wright, who had met with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman earlier on Sunday, said Riyadh and Washington were on “a pathway” to reaching an agreement to work together to develop a Saudi civil nuclear program, according to Reuters.
Wright, on his first official visit to the kingdom as part of a tour of energy-producing Gulf states, said further details over a memorandum detailing the energy cooperation between Riyadh and Washington would come later this year.
“For a US partnership and involvement in nuclear here, there will definitely be a 123 agreement … there’s lots of ways to structure a deal that will accomplish both the Saudi objectives and the American objectives,” he said.
The so-called 123 agreement with Riyadh refers to Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954. Adherence to Section 123 is required to permit the US government and US companies to cooperate with entities in the kingdom developing civil nuclear capabilities.
MNA
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