President Barack Obama has approved a proposed agreement for cooperation between the United States and Norway for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, according to a presidential memorandum issued Friday.
The U.S. has signed nuclear cooperation agreements – or 123 agreements – with a number of countries for technical exchanges, research, and other activities, provided the other countries commit themselves to nuclear nonproliferation norms. Countries in 123 agreements with the U.S. include Canada, Egypt, Japan, and Kazakhstan – in addition to Norway.
The two countries signed on March 31 during the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit a memorandum of understanding strengthening their partnership to counter nuclear terrorism by securing nuclear materials and taking measures against nuclear trafficking.
The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also signed in June 2014 a MOU to bolster their global nonproliferation efforts, for which Norway contributed over $94.5 million. This partnership entailed counter-nuclear smuggling activities in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as funding for the NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative.
