Ankara: The top diplomats from South Korea, the United States, and Japan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a framework for trilateral cooperation on accelerating small modular reactor (SMR) deployments in countries across the Indo-Pacific. This significant agreement was announced by the State Department after the signing, which took place on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi participated in the signing of the MOU. The agreement outlines opportunities for the three nations, which possess complementary advantages in the civil nuclear field, to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation among their respective nuclear industries.

The State Department highlighted that the new framework aims to foster fleet deployment models that de-risk project development, achieve economies of scale, catalyze private investment, streamline licensing processes, and optimize supply chains. This coordinated trilateral approach is expected to position South Korean, U.S., and Japanese firms to offer regional partners competitive alternatives to meet their growing energy needs while upholding high standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation.

To further support this initiative, the U.S. has committed more than $10 million in new funding for a State Department program designed to provide technical assistance to Indo-Pacific countries. The funding will advance SMR project development activities and establish a regional SMR training hub focused on workforce development, according to the department.