Bahrain signs a nuclear collaboration MOU with the U.S.

123 Agreement: Following the signing of the MOU, the next step of this partnership will involve negotiations around ensuing 123 Agreements, which are required by the U.S. Atomic Energy Act for all countries to whom the U.S. has agreed to transfer significant nuclear material or equipment.

123 Agreements establish a legal framework for international nuclear cooperation and ensure adherence to strict nonproliferation requirements. According to the Department of Energy, these negotiations are facilitated by the State Department in concurrence with the “DOE/[National Nuclear Security Administration] and in consultation with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”

Assuming U.S.-Malaysia talks are successful and that country becomes the 51st to enter into a 123 Agreement, Bahrain will become the 52nd.

Quotable: Rubio has made it clear that he wants to keep this momentum up, saying that the U.S. “is prepared to be partner with any nation on Earth that wants to pursue a civil nuclear program that clearly is not geared towards weapons and/or threatening the security of their neighbors.”

Investment made: This news also comes as Bahrain signs another agreement to invest more than $17 billion in the U.S. According to Reuters, part of the deal includes the purchasing of 18 new Boeing B787 airliners for Bahrain’s flag carrier, Gulf Air.

History: Entry into the nuclear sector would be a significant shift for Bahrain. In 2011, following the accident at Fukushima, the country indefinitely suspended its nascent nuclear energy development plans.

According to the International Energy Agency, the country currently gets the entirety of its energy from natural gas and crude oil. It has never had a nuclear research reactor or commercial power plant. However, it is already a member state of the International Atomic Energy Agency.