US President Joe Biden has approved the proposed agreement with South Africa to extend the two countries’ agreement on cooperation regarding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. This approval took the form of a Presidential ‘determination’, released by the White House late last month.
The original agreement was signed in August 1995. It entered into effect in early December 1997, and was due to expire in early December this year.
The US Department of Energy (DOE), on its website, summarises the agreement as covering “[c]ooperation in the development, use and control of peaceful uses of nuclear energy, which must be undertaken with a view to protecting the international environment from radioactive, chemical and thermal contamination”. The DOE also noted that the programmatic foci of the agreement were nuclear nonproliferation and arms control, nuclear safeguards and nuclear security.
In his determination, Biden noted that he had considered both the agreement itself and the recommendations, opinions and statements of the relevant US government departments and agencies. The determination was released, in full, for public information.
“I have determined that the performance of the proposed agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to, the common defence and security,” he stated. “Pursuant to section 123 b of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 USC 2153[b]), I hereby approve the proposed agreement and authorise the Secretary of State to arrange for its execution.”