FM meets US energy chief to discuss nuclear cooperation

SEOUL, February 5 (AJP) - Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on the sidelines of a U.S.-led ministerial meeting on critical minerals in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the speedy implementation of a tariff-related bilateral agreement reached in October last year.

The agreement includes Seoul's pledge to invest $350 billion in the U.S. as part of a broader deal to reduce reciprocal tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent. But the deal now faces uncertainty as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs again, delays in carrying it out.

Cho and Wright also agreed to work together to facilitate the implementation of the deal through working-level discussions, with Cho saying he expects that expanded cooperation on the construction of nuclear submarines as well as on uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel will further strengthen strategic ties between the two allies.

Wright said he would actively work to achieve tangible outcomes.