Center for Strategic and International Studies

This grant would support the Center for Strategic and International Studies' research and analysis on nuclear cooperation agreements and nuclear fuel cycle decisions. It would focus on two areas: renewal of the US-Korea nuclear cooperation agreement that must be completed by 2012 and developing a broader strategy for the United States government on upcoming discussions with states on their fuel cycles. In the next five years, approximately 13 U.S. nuclear cooperation agreements will need to be renegotiated and another four new agreements are currently under negotiation. CSIS' project on nuclear cooperation agreements will encourage U.S. officials to consider the wider ramifications of endorsement of pyroprocessing in the Korea 123 agreement, directly or indirectly, and facilitate coordination of policy across the government on these agreements.

The United States and South Korea must renegotiate their nuclear cooperation agreement by 2012, and it is likely to serve as a model for similar agreements with other nations in the future. This is especially important because approximately thirteen nuclear cooperation agreements between the United States and other nations will need to be renegotiated in the next five years. South Korea would like the ability to reprocess its spent fuel, a process that makes weapons creation easier, but is likely to be seen as setting a precedent for other nations. In addition, U.S. agencies have different approaches to the agreement and are not coordinating their efforts. This grant would allow the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Korea Chair to bring together senior experts, scholars, policymakers, and opinion makers to address new developments, challenges, and opportunities that may arise during the negotiations and thereby develop a coordinated approach.

A renewal of funding to the Center for Strategic and International Studies would support its research and analysis on nuclear cooperation agreements and nuclear fuel cycle decisions—choices that will have a profound effect on the safety and security of nuclear material. The project focuses on two areas: renewal of the U.S.-Korea nuclear cooperation agreement that must be completed by 2014 and the merits of having a broader strategy for the U.S. government on fuel cycle negotiations with other countries. In the next five years, approximately thirteen U.S. nuclear cooperation agreements will need to be renegotiated and another four new agreements are currently under negotiation. The Center's project on nuclear cooperation agreements will encourage U.S. officials to consider the wider ramifications of endorsement of reprocessing of nuclear waste in the Korea 123 agreement, directly or indirectly, and facilitate coordination of policy across the U.S. government on these agreements.