US and El Salvador sign Memorandum of Understanding on strategic civil nuclear cooperation

The United States and the Republic of El Salvador have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their strategic civil nuclear cooperation. The document was signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and El Salvador Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco, and it aims to foster collaboration between the two countries on small modular reactors (SMRs) and regulatory training. Through its partnership with Washington, El Salvador hopes to get 26% of its electricity from its nuclear sector by 2050. Last year the Central American Republic adopted a Nuclear Energy Law that emphasised the need to boost nuclear power to diversify the nation’s energy sources and reduce oil imports. By 2030, the country plans to train 400 nuclear specialists assisted by Argentina’s atomic energy agency and the IAEA. According to the US State Department, the Memorandum of Understanding “represents an initial step towards establishing a robust civil nuclear partnership between the United States and El Salvador”, enhancing “mutual prosperity” and “the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation.”