"[The proposed agreement] would permit the transfer [to Norway] of unclassified information, material, equipment (including reactors) and components for nuclear research and nuclear power production," the White House stated.
Furthermore, the agreement would allow Norway to retransfer irradiated nuclear material, or spent fuel, for storage or reprocessing, subject to agreement by France and the United Kingdom.
The White House explained that Norway has no current plans for a nuclear power program, but the deal would "facilitate cooperation on such a program" in the future. The agreement is intended to benefit Norway’s nuclear research initiatives.
Norway is a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). In April, the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in countering illicit nuclear materials trafficking.
