Saudi Cabinet Ratifies Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Agreement With Russia

The Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia adopted an agreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia on the peaceful use of nuclear energy signed in St. Petersburg, according to official statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Saudi cabinet ratified an agreement Monday on peaceful nuclear research cooperation with Russia signed last year.

Moscow and Riyadh signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy on June 18, 2015.

"The Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia adopted an agreement between the government of the Kingdom and the Russian government on the peaceful use of nuclear energy signed in St. Petersburg," the official SPA news service said.

It notes that a corresponding decree for King Salman bin Abdulaziz Saud to sign has been drafted.

According to Russia’s state-run atomic energy agency Rosatom, the deal for the first time in the history of Russian-Saudi relations creates a legal framework for bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy. It opens a number of prospects, including cooperation in construction and operation of reactors, nuclear fuel cycle services as well as education and training.