Secretary Rubio Advances National Security Through Civil Nuclear Deals in Central Europe

Secretary Rubio Advances National Security Through Civil Nuclear Deals in Central Europe

In Bratislava and Budapest February 15-16, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced concrete steps towards building nuclear power plants in Central Europe using cutting-edge U.S. nuclear energy technologies, advancing our mutual security interests in the region.  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.   

• In Slovakia, implementation of the U.S.-Slovakia Intergovernmental agreement signed on January 16 will begin with U.S. funding to jumpstart the vitally important preconstruction phase – Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study – for a new Westinghouse large reactor build.  The FEED work will be carried out under the Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Program, which helps countries build safe, secure, responsible nuclear energy programs.

• In Budapest, Secretary Rubio (a) signed the U.S.-Hungary Civil Nuclear Intergovernmental Agreement, which will deliver decades of cooperation in nuclear energy, (b) underscores U.S. commitment to making Hungary a hub for regional small modular reactor (SMR) development, and encouraged Hungary to select U.S. SMR technology, and (c) 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.

These national security achievements deliver on President Trump’s EO 14299 – “Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security.”  Cumulatively they represent over $15 billion in business opportunities for U.S. vendors and 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.