Trump Administration's Informational Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Sales to Saudi Arabia

Last week, the Trump administration held a meeting to inform congressional aides about how to comply with nuclear non-proliferation standards in a potential agreement with Saudi Arabia regarding the sale of nuclear reactors to the country. Reuters reported on Friday, December 15, quoting congressional aides, that there was no mention during the meeting of whether Riyadh would be allowed to enrich uranium under this agreement. Proponents of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty are concerned that allowing uranium enrichment for Saudi Arabia under a nuclear agreement could enable the country to secretly enrich uranium in the future, leading to an arms race with its rival Iran, which could then spread throughout the Middle East. The report adds that aides from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee were briefed by officials from the State and Energy Departments in a meeting held on Wednesday regarding this contract. They were informed that the Trump administration is 'working on expanding the issue of non-proliferation standards' that should be discussed in negotiations with Saudi Arabia for cooperation on civilian nuclear program use, known as the 123 Agreement. Congressional aides have stated that the U.S. government is still considering whether uranium enrichment should be permitted in the mentioned agreement. American, South Korean, Chinese, and Russian companies are competing to build Saudi Arabia's first nuclear power plant. Rick Perry, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, who visited Saudi Arabia last month, told Reuters at that time that negotiations between the two countries regarding the 123 Agreement would begin soon. This agreement allows American companies to participate in Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program. Reuters adds that Riyadh has stated its intention to be self-sufficient in nuclear fuel production and has no plans to shift it toward military purposes. Saudi Arabia had previously refrained from signing an agreement with the U.S. that would deprive Riyadh of uranium enrichment. Nuclear fuel for power plants is only enriched up to five percent, whereas military purposes require enrichment up to 90 percent. Some American senators are concerned that the U.S. government may quickly initiate negotiations regarding nuclear facilities and enrichment with Saudi Arabia without consulting Congress. According to a 2008 resolution, the U.S. President must fully inform Senate and House committees about contracts with foreign parties at any level. One congressional aide stated, 'We are frustrated by the lack of communication on this matter and are now learning about potential foreign policy developments through the press again.' A day before the Senate briefing, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources, that the Trump administration would likely allow Riyadh to enrich uranium as part of the agreement with Saudi Arabia. A U.S. State Department official stated that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been negotiating the 123 Agreement since 2012 but did not provide details on the matter. The U.S. Department of Energy also did not comment on this issue.