534           FOREIGN RELATIONS, 19 5 0) VOLUME I
    quantities of uranium ores as might be required by the Govern-
    ments of the United States and the United Kingdom.
      'To aid in the reopening !and development of the Congo
    uranium properties, the Governments of the United States and
    the United Kingdom undertook to facilitate the delivery to the
    producing company (the Union Miniere du Hiaut Klatanga) of
    such materials and equipment as the parties to the contracts
    thought necessary.
      'The arrangements made were subject to the right of Belgium
    to reserve such reasonable quantities of these ores -as might be
    required for her own scientific research ,and industrial purposes,
    except that ores used for the production of power for commer-
    cial purposes should be subject .to special provisions 'as outlined
    below:
    '(a) At such time !as the Governments of the United States and
        of the United Kingdom decide to Utilize -as a source of en-
        ergy for commercial purposes ores obtained under this
        Agreement, the two Governments would ,admit the Belgian
        Government -to, participation in such utilization on equitable
        terms.
     (b) The Belgian Government would undertake that, in the event
        of its contemplating the use of such ores as a source of energy
        for commercial purposes, it would so use -them only afteron-6
        sultation and in agreement with the Governments.of the
        United States and of the United Kingdom.
      'Since 1947, representatives of the three Governments party
    to the Memorandum of Agreement. just described, have consulted
    informally with one another from time to time on questions con-
    nected with (a)-and (b) labove. In the spring of 1948, the Ameri-
    can and British Governments had occasion to assure the Belgian
    Government of their appreciation for the steadfast manner in
    which Belgium was carrying out its part of the understanding
    -and of the determination of the United States land the United
    Kingdom to honor their obligation in connection with commer-
    cial application of atomic energy when this became feasible. The
    United States Government indicated it would. welcome repre-
    sentatives of the Belgian Government to reiew .the prospects
    for commercial application of atomic energy and 'to discuss mat-
    ters connected with the use of radioisotopes.
      'In response to this invitation, the. Belgian Government sent
    representatives to Washington, where they conferred during late
    August land early September of 1948 with officials of the Depart-
    ment of State and the United ,Sates Atomic Energy Commission.
    The British Government was represented at these informal talks.
       1In nthe course of the talks, experts from the Atomic Energy
     Commission reviewed for the Belgian representatives the state
     of progress made toward--the commercial applicat~ion of ,atomic
     energy, pointing out that such application seemed-a matter of the
     distant future. It was also stated that the most immediate benefits
     of ,atomic energy were to be found in the development of radio-
     isotopes for scientific and medical research and ,therapy.