The governments of Malaysia and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic civil nuclear cooperation on the occasion of the working visit of the Secretary Marco Rubio to Malaysia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan on civil nuclear cooperation, the State Department said in a statement on Thursday.
The Malaysian Foreign Minister described the signing of the MoU as 'a significant milestone' that represents 'a crucial step in our shared journey to further strengthen the Malaysia-United States comprehensive partnership.'
"For Malaysia, exploring the role of nuclear energy is a key part of our long-term strategy. It is about ensuring energy security, driving economic growth, and developing our national capacity to harness nuclear energy in a safe, secure, and truly responsible manner," - Mohammad Hasan stated at the ceremony and expressed Malaysia readiness to commence negotiation on the 123 Agreement.
Secretary Rubio welcomed the signing of the MoU, calling it 'a signal to the world' of how civil nuclear cooperation can be pursued between trusted partners while maintaining the highest standards of safety, security, and non-proliferation.
"Obviously much work remains. We’re anxious to move forward on the negotiations on the 123 Agreement, and this is the next step forward in a country whose future is incredibly bright. And we’re very honored to be a part of this today.
The 123 Agreements of Agreements for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation establish a legal framework for significant peaceful nuclear cooperation between the United States and its partners. U.S. law generally requires a 123 Agreement to be in force before licensing significant exports of U.S.-origin nuclear material (e.g., nuclear reactor fuel) and equipment (e.g. nuclear reactors and major components) to another partner.
During today’s meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the U.S.–Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership and to strengthening economic and security ties between the two nations.
Secretary Rubio reiterated the United States’ support for a free and open Indo-Pacific and discussed expanding bilateral defence and security cooperation, particularly through enhanced maritime law enforcement operations in the South China Sea.
Both leaders also pledged to deepen collaboration in civil nuclear energy, critical minerals, and advanced technologies—including joint efforts to build resilient critical mineral supply chains and enhance the security of AI chip technologies.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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