The U.S. Department of State (DoS) announced on Feb. 16 that Secretary Marco Rubio’s National Security advancement in Central Europe through a Civil Nuclear Agreement.
On Feb 15-16, Secretary Rubio announced the U.S. plan to develop nuclear power plants throughout Central Europe in Bratislava and Budapest.
According to the DoS media note, the plan involves “using cutting-edge U.S. nuclear energy technologies, advancing our mutual security interests in the region.”
Additionally, Secretary Rubio signed the U.S.-Hungary Civil Nuclear Intergovernmental Agreement, which aims to provide “decades of cooperation in nuclear energy.”
“These announcements pave the way to improve the region’s energy security, grow industrial strength, and meet emerging tech competitiveness goals, like powering and harnessing AI,” the statement adds.
Secretary Rubio emphasized the U.S.’s commitment to establishing Hungary as a center for “regional small modular reactor (SMR) development” while encouraging the nation to utilize U.S SMR technology.
At the same time, the announcement confirmed that the U.S.-Slovakia intergovernmental agreement will begin with U.S. support to “jumpstart the vitally important preconstruction phase – Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study – for a new Westinghouse large reactor build.” The agreement was signed on Jan. 16.
The FEED operation will be conducted by the DoS’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Program. The program “helps countries build safe, secure, responsible nuclear energy programs.”
Secretary Rubio also “reaffirmed that U.S. firm Holtec International is ready to help Hungary handle spent nuclear fuel storage – a dry cask storage system that boasts maximum security, safety, and flexibility – subject to parliamentary action.”
The DoS’s National Security advancements are a part of President Donald Trump’s “Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security” executive order. Secretary Rubio’s achievement represents more than $15 billion in business growth for U.S. vendors, creating thousands of jobs for U.S. workers.
“The United States is committed to supporting the national security objectives of friends and allies using innovative nuclear energy technologies that draw on 70 years of U.S. global leadership in nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation.”
