The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory has signed an agreement - known as a Practical Arrangement - with the International Atomic Energy Agency aimed at enhancing cooperation.

Turkey's state-owned EUAS International ICC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK's Rolls-Royce to evaluate the technical, economical and legal applicability of small modular reactors. In addition, they will consider the possibility of joint production of such reactors.

A number of documents have been signed between Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom and the government of Bangladesh that will enhance existing bilateral cooperation in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Russia is currently constructing a two-unit nuclear power plant at Rooppur, Bangladesh.

Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Spanish engineering firms ENUSA, ENSA and IDOM on cooperation in the decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities, as well as in nuclear waste management and related engineering and consulting services. They have also signed a roadmap for the development of various projects in the near term.

The US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Tennessee Valley Authority are to collaborate on the economic feasibility of potentially licensing, building, operating and maintaining one or more advanced nuclear reactors - such as a small modular reactor - at TVA's Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

NuScale Power and Ukraine's State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety have announced the signature of an agreement to start work on the evaluation of national regulatory and design processes related to the implementation of NuScale small modular reactor technology in Ukraine.

The Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning agency has signed cooperation agreements with Finland's AINS Group and France's Orano on building a repository for the disposal of used fuel and waste from the decommissioning of Norway's two shutdown research reactors.

Estonia's Fermi Energia has signed Memoranda of Understanding with Finnish power company Fortum and Belgian engineering firm Tractebel to cooperate on studying the deployment of small modular reactors in the Baltic country.

The foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK have triggered a dispute resolution mechanism over the nuclear deal with Iran - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - following the Middle Eastern country's further step away from its commitments. Josep Borrell, EU foreign affairs chief and coordinator of the JCPOA joint commission, said he had received today a letter from the three ministers for resolution through the mechanism, as set out in paragraph 36 of the agreement.

China Energy Engineering Corporation and China National Nuclear Corporation have entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement, CEEC has told the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The document was signed in Beijing on 7 January by Wu Yun, deputy general manager of CEEC, and Li Qingtang, deputy general manager of CNNC.

A revised pre-project engineering contract has been signed by South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy to establish a joint entity for the commercialisation and construction of the Korean-designed SMART small modular reactor in Saudi Arabia.

An agreement to cooperate on the development of fast neutron reactors has been signed between Framatome and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Mitsubishi FBR Systems and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The partners have previously collaborated on the Astrid project.