Philippines, US to sign landmark nuke deal
SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippines and the United States will sign a number of deals, including the landmark 123 agreement on nuclear cooperation, during President Marcos’ four-day visit here.
The 123 agreement, which is expected to encourage more investments in the energy sector, is scheduled to be signed tomorrow, according to Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.
The agreement creates a legally binding framework for peaceful nuclear cooperation. It is named after Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, which requires the conclusion of a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement for significant transfers of nuclear material or equipment from the US.
The agreement also facilitates cooperation in other areas such as technical exchanges, scientific research and safeguards discussions, according to the US Department of Energy website.
Partner countries of the US will be given access to the benefits of peaceful uses of its nuclear energy, science and technology, but must comply with a set of strong nonproliferation requirements.
In the 1960s until the mid-1980s, the President’s late father and namesake Ferdinand Marcos Sr. pursued a nuclear energy program and ordered the construction of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. The facility was set aside after Corazon Aquino became president in 1986.
The Philippines and the US are also expected to ink agreements on renewable energy, manufacturing and other fields, according to Marcos.
“By the end of the four-day visit to San Francisco, we hope to have witnessed the signing of agreements with various American businesses in the fields of digital infrastructure and connectivity, renewable energy, electronics manufacturing, health and tourism, among others,” the President told members of the Filipino community here yesterday.
Marcos is on a weeklong visit to the US to attend the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting and to meet with top American businesses.
The APEC meet is being held from Nov. 15 to 17. The President will also visit Los Angeles from Nov. 17 to 18 and Hawaii from Nov. 18 to 19. It is Marcos’ third visit to the US and his 18th foreign trip since becoming President in
