US energy chief said to plan nuclear deal talks with Saudi officials

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry will travel to London this week to discuss a nuclear cooperation agreement with senior officials from Saudi Arabia, which is planning to build two reactors to support its energy needs, The Washington Post reported, citing an unnamed administration official.

The meeting in London comes ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's scheduled visit to the United States next month.

The US long asked Saudi Arabia to agree to a nuclear cooperation agreement – known as a 123 agreement for the clause in the Atomic Energy Act – that would include bans on the enrichment of uranium and the reprocessing of spent fuel.

But Saudi Arabia demands that it be allowed to enrich its own supplies of uranium as a matter of national sovereignty.

It was not clear whether Perry was carrying a proposal to the London meeting, the report said.

Last month, Saudi Arabia selected two potential sites for its first nuclear power plant project, for which the tendering process is expected this year.