US, Bahrain To Cooperate In Civil Nuclear Energy

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, July 16 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani signed on Wednesday a nuclear cooperation memorandum of understanding (NCMOU).
Speaking to reporters at the signing ceremony, Secretary Rubio said that signing this important document "serves as the first step towards a deeper civil nuclear cooperation - an example that the United States is prepared to be a partner with any nation on Earth that wants to pursue a civil nuclear program that clearly is not geared towards weaponization or threatening the security of their neighbors."
"And this is a - no one better to do it with than such a strong partner that we've been working with for so long. This only strengthens our relationship," he noted.
"We're all aware of our partnerships already that are in place, whether it's a free trade agreement or the Fifth Fleet, obviously the Abraham Accords, the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement - that, by the way, the United Kingdom has now also joined, and we're very excited about that.
"All of these things bring us closer together, and I think later today, along with our respective heads of state, we're going to have an opportunity to - our respective heads of government - we're going to have an opportunity to have a meeting and lunch over at the White House as well. So that'll be exciting.
And - so this is a - I would just say, to brag a little bit, I think US private sector technology is the best in the world, and the best in the world at helping such close allies like Bahrain achieve the hopes that they have for their own future, be able to generate energy. Energy is key to everything.
"You can't - we talk about any industry or any business endeavor, you can't do it without energy.
"And this is an exciting new technology that we hope to be sharing with many of our partners. But what - this is among our closest in the world.
"And so we look forward to collaborating and building a civil nuclear capacity with you together, and through U.S. companies and through your companies, and we're excited about the opportunity to be here," he added.
Ahead of the signing, Ann K. Ganzer - Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the Department of State, said, "Developing civil nuclear energy at home and abroad is a major priority for the United States, as reflected in the four executive orders our President signed this past May."
"This NCMOU represents an important step towards deepening a robust civil nuclear partnership between the United States and Bahrain, and it builds on our countries' already successful collaboration through our Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology, or FIRST program," she told reporters.
"This NCMOU will enhance our energy security, advance mutual prosperity through the expanded economic cooperation it will introduce, and advance mutual - promote the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation," she added. (end)
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