Senate Foreign Relations Committee Clears Vietnam 123 Deal

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has signed off on a new nuclear cooperation agreement with Vietnam. The committee on Tuesday approved the pact, which is largely based on legislation introduced earlier this year by committee chairman Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) that adds a 30-year expiration date to the agreement, and some future nuclear cooperation deals. The legislation also includes a provision calling for strengthened nuclear proliferation reviews of possible nuclear cooperation agreements, but it does not address one of the biggest issues in the deal raised by some, the lack legally binding restrictions on enrichment and reprocessing, known as the ‘gold standard.’ The deal, finalized last October, has a nonbinding commitment from Vietnam to rely on existing fuel services rather than developing its own sensitive nuclear technologies but no firm commitment. The agreement does not need Congressional approval to enter force, and Congressional aides said it’s unlikely the House will take up the Senate version of the bill. However, the agreement will take effect after it sits before Congress for 90 consecutive legislative days.