U.S.-Russia Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation (123 Agreement)

Today in Moscow, the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, William Burns, and the Director of the State Corporation for Atomic Energy (Rosatom), Sergey Kiriyenko, signed the bilateral Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation for Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (also known as a 123 Agreement) that was negotiated last year.

Upon entry into force, this Agreement will create the necessary legal foundation for our cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It offers significant benefits to both countries. It will benefit U.S. industry by allowing U.S. and Russian companies to partner in nuclear joint ventures, and by permitting commercial sales of nuclear materials, reactors, and major reactor components by U.S. industry to Russia. The Agreement also will strengthen U.S.-Russian nonproliferation cooperation under bilateral programs and initiatives in civil nuclear energy, including the Declaration on Nuclear Energy and Nonproliferation of July 3, 2007, and in the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.