The following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Singapore on the occasion of the signing of the United States-Singapore 123 Agreement.
Today, on July 31, 2024, the United States and Singapore signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, commonly known as a “123 Agreement”. The agreement was signed by United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan in Singapore. This agreement builds on the long-standing civil nuclear collaboration between United States and Singapore and outlines a comprehensive framework to deepen peaceful nuclear cooperation based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. Upon entry into force, the agreement will enable deeper nuclear cooperation, consistent with the highest international standards of safety, security, and nonproliferation, and build on our strong bilateral partnership.
The United States and Singapore collaborate closely on matters involving nuclear safety, security, and safeguards, including in regional and multilateral fora. Over the past decade, the United States has supported Singapore’s capacity building efforts to better understand the safety and reliability of advanced nuclear energy technologies. Since 2017, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) have had arrangements to collaborate on nuclear safety matters, and most recently held a joint workshop in July 2024 under these arrangements.
Through this agreement, as well as other capacity building initiatives, such as the Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program, the United States and Singapore intend to further strengthen civil nuclear cooperation to better understand how advanced nuclear energy technologies, including small modular reactors, can potentially support climate goals, while balancing critical energy needs. This will support Singapore’s efforts to understand and evaluate advanced nuclear energy technologies, should viable options emerge.