Mr Hutton, who will sign the agreement during a two day visit to Washington DC, will also meet with US energy companies to discuss potential investment in new nuclear build in the UK.

The signing of GNEP and the meeting with US energy companies follows John Hutton's recent announcement to invite proposals for new nuclear as part of the UK energy mix.

The UK is the twenty-first country to join the international partnership, which promotes responsible nuclear development while reducing volumes of waste and the risk of nuclear proliferation.

GNEP also enables the UK and other developed countries to share experience on a wide range of issues, such as infrastructure assessments, security and safety requirements, which will help developing countries identify whether nuclear power generation is suitable for them and how to proceed with its implementation.

Signing the partnership's Statement of Principles in Washington DC, John Hutton said:

"The UK shares in the vision of improved non-proliferation and nuclear waste management and recognises the real benefits of initiatives such as GNEP to implement the right solutions and further develop international standards and best practice.

"With the UK's advanced knowledge and capabilities, particularly in nuclear waste management, GNEP opens up the potential for UK organisations to share their expertise globally through tapping into international projects and building business partnerships.

"With a new generation of nuclear energy now set to be part of the UK's future energy mix, the UK is in position to play a role in this global initiative."

As members, the UK will be able to further contribute to the development of international policy on the use of nuclear power, non-proliferation and the disposal of nuclear waste to ensure the safe and secure development of nuclear energy worldwide.