[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20784-20785]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 REPORT ON A PROPOSED PROTOCOL AMENDING THE AGREEMENT FOR COOPERATION 
    BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE 
   GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO CONCERNING PEACEFUL USES OF 
           NUCLEAR ENERGY--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT--PM 52

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

To the Congress of the United States:
  I am pleased to transmit to the Congress, pursuant to sections 123b. 
and 123d. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
2153(b), (d)) (the ``Act''), the text of a proposed Protocol Amending 
the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United 
States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco 
Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy signed at Washington on May 
30, 1980. I am also pleased to transmit my written approval, 
authorization, and determination concerning the Protocol, and an 
unclassified Nuclear Proliferation Assessment Statement (NPAS) 
concerning the Protocol. (In accordance with section 123 of the Act, as 
amended by title XII of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring 
Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-277), a classified Annex to the NPAS, 
prepared by the Secretary of State in consultation with the Director of 
Central Intelligence,

[[Page 20785]]

summarizing relevant classified information, will be submitted to the 
Congress separately.) The joint memorandum submitted to me by the 
Secretary of State and the Secretary of Energy and a letter from the 
Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission stating the views of the 
Commission are also enclosed.
  I am informed that the proposed Protocol has been negotiated to be in 
accordance with the Act and other applicable law, to meet all statutory 
requirements, and to advance the nonproliferation and other foreign 
policy interests of the United States.
  The Protocol amends the Agreement for Cooperation Between the 
Government of the United States of America and the Government of the 
Kingdom of Morocco Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy in two 
respects:
  1. It extends the Agreement, which expired by its terms on May 16, 
2001, for an additional period of 20 years, with a provision for 
automatic extensions thereafter in increments of 5 years each unless 
either Party gives timely notice to terminate the Agreement; and
  2. It updates certain provisions of the Agreement relating to the 
physical protection of nuclear material subject to the Agreement.
  As amended by the proposed Protocol, I am informed that the Agreement 
will continue to meet all requirements of U.S. law.
  Morocco is in the early stages of developing a nuclear research 
program, with support from the United States and the International 
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The United States firm, General Atomics, 
is currently building the country's first reactor, a small (2 megawatt) 
TRIGA Mark II research reactor that will use low-enriched uranium fuel. 
General Atomics' completion of the project cannot occur without an 
Agreement for Cooperation in force.
  Morocco is a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear 
Weapons (NPT) and has an agreement with the IAEA for the application of 
full-scope safeguards to its nuclear program. Morocco is a signatory to 
(but has not yet ratified) the Convention on the Physical Protection of 
Nuclear Material, which establishes international standards of physical 
protection for the storage and transport of nuclear material.
  I have considered the views and recommendations of the interested 
agencies in reviewing the proposed protocol and have determined that 
its performance will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable 
risk to, the common defense and security. Accordingly, I have approved 
the protocol and authorized its execution and urge that the Congress 
give it favorable consideration.
  This transmission shall constitute a submittal for purposes for both 
sections 123b. and 123d. of the Atomic Energy Act. My Administration is 
prepared to begin immediately the consultations with the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee and House International Relations Committee as 
provided in section 123b. Upon completion of the 30-day continuous 
session period provided for in section 123b., the 60-day continuous 
session period provided for in section 123d. shall commence.
                                                         George Bush.  
The White House, October 24, 2001.

                          ____________________