Riyadh – Mubasher: Discussions between the United States and Saudi Arabia regarding the building of a nuclear reactor are likely to be unsuccessful, which may open the way for other countries such as China and Russia to be compete for building the reactor.
"I always remind people that the alternative is no good - if Russia, China are who is going to be chosen to do the civil nuclear projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there will be no oversight," Bloomberg reported, citing US energy secretary Rick Perry as saying.
Countries like Russia and China lack nuclear proliferation standards.
The negotiations between the Saudi authorities and US President Donald Trump may lead to establishing 16 reactors in the kingdom.
“A US deal with the Saudis would not only involve American workers and technology but also provide oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” Perry noted.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding reports that the US was considering a nuclear technology-sharing deal that would not ban Saudis from enriching nuclear fuel into weapons-grade materials, the US energy secretary did not confirm if there was such a deal in place yet.
The kingdom’s government is not expected to purchase reactors from Russia due to its strong relations with Iran, executive director in the US Non-proliferation Policy Education Center Henry Sokolski said.
It is unlikely that Saudi Arabia will buy reactors from France and China due to their high cost, Sokolski noted, indicating that South Korean reactors may be the optimal choice, although they contain US spare parts.
“Korean officials believe they cannot export [the reactors] to the kingdom unless the Saudis reach a cooperation agreement with the US,” the top official highlighted.
Meanwhile, Saudi minister of energy Khalid Al Falih told Bloomberg Television that talks with the US have been "very constructive" and that "our counterparts from the American side have been understanding of the kingdom’s situation."
"We want the best technology providers to be with us and the US is on that list," Al Falih stated, noting that the kinfom would fully comply with international treaties and regulations and its nuclear program will be subject to international inspection, the news agency added.
