US, South Korea Hold High-Stakes Nuclear Talks in Seoul

(MENAFN) The United States and South Korea convened two days of bilateral consultations on nuclear cooperation in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday, the State Department confirmed, as both allies push to cement a landmark framework on civilian atomic energy and defense technology.

The talks were formally opened by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, before expanding into sector-specific working sessions involving interagency delegations from both governments, the State Department said in an official statement.

"Both sides committed to work towards delivering tangible outcomes as quickly as possible to establish milestones for reviewing progress throughout the year and to accelerate future consultations," the statement read.

According to a news agency, citing South Korea's Foreign Ministry, the agenda centered on three core priorities: Seoul's ambition to develop nuclear-powered submarines, its bid to secure uranium enrichment rights, and deepening shipbuilding cooperation between the two allies.

The consultations build on momentum established last November, when US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung jointly issued a fact sheet in which Washington expressed support for a pathway that could allow Seoul to pursue civil uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing for peaceful purposes.

The talks signal a significant deepening of the two countries' strategic energy and defense partnership at a time of heightened regional security concerns.

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