Singapore, US Sign 30-year Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, July 31 (Bernama) -- Singapore and the United States (US) have signed a 30-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement, known as the 123 Agreement, which will facilitate the island republic’s access to detailed information on US nuclear energy technologies and expertise that are under export control.

The agreement, outlining a comprehensive framework to deepen peaceful nuclear cooperation based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation, was signed by US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan on Wednesday.

“Upon entry into force, the agreement will enable deeper nuclear cooperation, consistent with the highest international standards of safety, security, and nonproliferation, and build on our strong bilateral partnership,” the two governments said in a joint statement.

The agreement must be reviewed by the US Congress before it can take effect, with implementation anticipated by the end of the year.

Through the agreement, as well as other capacity-building initiatives, the US and Singapore said they intend to further strengthen civil nuclear cooperation to better understand how advanced nuclear energy technologies, including small modular reactors, can potentially support climate goals while balancing critical energy needs.

The other capacity-building initiatives include the US Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) programme, joined by Singapore in conjunction with the signing of the 123 Agreement.

Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the Ministry of Trade and Industry in their factsheets released Wednesday said the republic has not made any decision regarding the deployment of nuclear energy in the country.

Any deployment decision will require detailed studies of the safety, reliability, affordability, and environmental sustainability of nuclear energy in local context.

They said the 123 Agreement is a prerequisite for Singapore to collaborate with other countries that use nuclear energy technologies and designs containing components or intellectual property of US origin.

“This will allow us to work more closely with US institutions, as well as civil nuclear entities in other countries. Such collaboration will facilitate Singapore’s capability-building journey,” according to the factsheets.

The US has 24 active 123 agreements, including Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

-- BERNAMA