Donald Trump approved a 30-year cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, which will provide the country with a nuclear energy program for non-military purposes and, under certain conditions, pave the way for the construction of a uranium enrichment facility on Saudi soil.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the agreement stipulates that U.S. companies will play a central role in the development of the kingdom’s nuclear infrastructure, thereby limiting access to the Saudi market for competitors from other countries.

Among the companies expected to benefit is Westinghouse Electric, which is bidding for contracts to build nuclear reactors in the country.

The most sensitive aspect concerns the possibility of domestic uranium enrichment.

The agreement does not grant Riyadh immediate permission to build and operate such a facility on its own.

It initially calls for the preparation of a joint U.S.-Saudi study, which will determine whether the construction of an enrichment plant in Saudi Arabia is justified.

The agreement aims to further strengthen ties between the two countries at a time when the war with Iran is straining bilateral relations.

U.S.-built facility with restricted access

If the joint study concludes in favor of domestic enrichment, the facility will be built by U.S. companies in Saudi Arabia.

Its operation is expected to be based on a “black box” regime, so that sensitive enrichment technology is not transferred to the Saudi authorities.

According to U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. presence at the facility will aim to prevent the diversion of enriched uranium for military use.

They maintain that the provisions of the agreement will also prevent the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel to produce material that could be used in a nuclear weapon.

The agreement also includes a clause for the event that the United States decides, following the completion of the study, not to approve the construction of the facility.

In that event, Saudi Arabia would not be permitted to proceed with enrichment—either independently or in cooperation with another foreign country—for a period of ten years.

What guarantees are not included

Despite the U.S. restrictions provided for, the agreement does not include the so-called “Gold Standard”—that is, a country’s explicit and permanent renunciation of uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent fuel. The United Arab Emirates had accepted this specific commitment in 2009 as part of its own nuclear agreement with the U.S.

According to the same reports, the text does not require the implementation of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol either.

The protocol grants international inspectors expanded powers, including access to undeclared facilities and the ability to conduct unannounced inspections.

The absence of these two commitments is expected to be the main point of contention during the U.S. Congress’s review of the agreement.

The Next Step in Congress

Presidential approval is not sufficient to immediately begin the transfer of nuclear technology and materials. The agreement, known as the “123 Agreement” after the corresponding section of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act, provides the legal framework that allows for the export of reactors, key components, nuclear material, and related know-how from the U.S.

The text is expected to be submitted to Congress, where it will undergo the required 90-day review period during a continuous session of Congress. The agreement may enter into force provided that lawmakers do not pass a resolution blocking its implementation.

The Trump administration argues that entrusting the construction and oversight of nuclear facilities to U.S. companies will keep the program under Washington’s influence.

Critics of the agreement, on the other hand, are expected to focus on the fact that Riyadh is not permanently giving up uranium enrichment and that the agreement leaves open the possibility of establishing the kingdom’s first such facility.

Source: CNN.gr