Indonesia and Philippines Delegations Participate in U.S. Study Tour to Promote Cooperation on Small Modular Reactor Advanced Technology from July 10-18, 2023, the Department of State, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN) hosted high-level delegations from Indonesia and the Philippines in Washington DC; at Texas A&M University in Bay City, Texas; and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee to strengthen our partnerships on clean energy through enhancing civil nuclear cooperation. The Study Tour was sponsored by the Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology (FIRST) Program.
ISN Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Ann K. Ganzer met with the delegations – led by Philippines Department of Energy Undersecretary Sharon Garin and Indonesia Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Senior Advisor for the Minister on Digital Transformation, Creativity and Human Resources Dr. Rizal Edwin. She underscored the United States’ commitment and support to advancing both Indonesia’s and the Philippines’ energy security and net zero emissions goals. The FIRST Study Tour facilitated discussions with U.S. government, academia, and industry stakeholders in civil nuclear energy including on workforce development, regulatory infrastructure, advanced technology options, stakeholder engagement, and nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation considerations. The FIRST Study Tour included meetings with leading experts in the U.S. nuclear energy, tours of SMR simulator equipment, and discussions with junior college staff training program personnel.
The United States is excited to partner with both Philippines and Indonesia on civil nuclear cooperation and looks forward to continuing to support capacity building efforts and engagements.