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USA administration salivating about lucrative sale of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia – if only they could get over the proliferation problem

U.S. stresses safety in talks on nuclear power with Saudi Arabia: Perry https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-nuclear/u-s-stresses-safety-in-talks-on-nuclear-power-with-saudi-arabia-perry-idUSKCN1M707W

Timothy Gardner, WASHINGTON (Reuters) 7 Oct 18,  – The United States is close to working with Saudi Arabia on building nuclear power reactors, but talks on tough non-proliferation standards with the kingdom remain a challenge, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on Wednesday.

Perry has held talks with several Saudi leaders this year, including King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on the kingdom’s ambition of initially building two nuclear power stations. Saudi Arabia wants to ultimately construct 16 reactors in coming decades at a cost of about $80 billion.

Discussions had been held up on Saudi Arabia’s desire to relax nonproliferation standards and potentially allow the country to enrich uranium and reprocess plutonium, technologies that non-proliferation advocates worry could one day be covertly altered to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons.

Perry said progress on non-proliferation standards had been made, but that talks were not going as quickly as either side would have hoped. Perry has shared with Saudi leaders that being “perceived as very, very strong on non-proliferation was a most important message, globally,” he told reporters at the Energy Department headquarters.

Perry said part of the talks center on making sure any nuclear inspections would not be intrusive for sensitive areas in the kingdom.

Discussions had been held up on Saudi Arabia’s desire to relax nonproliferation standards and potentially allow the country to enrich uranium and reprocess plutonium, technologies that non-proliferation advocates worry could one day be covertly altered to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons.

Perry said progress on non-proliferation standards had been made, but that talks were not going as quickly as either side would have hoped. Perry has shared with Saudi leaders that being “perceived as very, very strong on non-proliferation was a most important message, globally,” he told reporters at the Energy Department headquarters.

Perry said part of the talks center on making sure any nuclear inspections would not be intrusive for sensitive areas in the kingdom.

October 8, 2018 - Posted by | politics international, Saudi Arabia, USA

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