US Senate panel approves Vietnam nuke agreement

WASHINGTON: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved an agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation between the US and Vietnam, as Washington looks to expand its relationship with its former Southeast Asian foe.

The agreement approved Tuesday by the committee would allow US firms into Vietnam’s expanding market for nuclear power. The US and Vietnamese governments reached the agreement last October, and it was approved by President Barack Obama in February of this year. It now has to be endorsed by the full Senate. The prospects for passage remain uncertain.