U.S., Vietnam Ink Civil Nuclear Deal

The United States and Vietnam are moving to boost cooperation in the energy sector by signing a deal on civilian nuclear power that will allow American firms into the market and commits the Vietnamese to not producing ingredients for atomic weapons.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Vietnamese counterpart inked the so-called "123 agreement" on Thursday at the East Asian Summit in Brunei. Under its terms, Vietnam pledges not to enrich its own uranium and instead acquire what it needs on the international market.

Once the U.S. energy secretary and Nuclear Regulatory Commission sign off, the deal will go to President Barack Obama for formal consideration. Once he signs it, Congress will have 90 days to review it. If lawmakers do nothing, the deal will take effect.

Vietnam faces energy shortages and is pursuing nuclear energy, officials have said, with a plan that calls for the first nuclear power plant to be in commercial operation by 2020.

The country wants nuclear energy to provide more than 10 percent of its total power generation needs by 2030.

The communist-ruled nation already has a nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia.

Despite Hanoi's determination to pursue nuclear power, there has been domestic opposition with many voicing fears that the locations selected for the plants make them vulnerable to earthquakes or tsunamis.