US Ambassador John Beyrle and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov exchanged diplomatic notes for the accord to enter into force in Moscow on January 11.

“The 123 agreement represents a major step forward in US-Russian civil nuclear cooperation, enabling two of the world’s leading nuclear powers to work together to find solutions to global problems,” Mr. Beyrle said in a statement distributed to reporters.

President Barack Obama in May last year resubmitted to Congress the agreement with Russia that was withdrawn by his predecessor, George W. Bush, after Russia’s 2008 war with Georgia. The accord passed through Congress last month.

The Obama administration has set out to “reset” relations with Russia, which chilled after the war with Georgia, a US ally. Mr. Obama’s revival of the nuclear cooperation agreement followed the signing with his Russian counterpart, Mr. Dmitry Medvedev, of a nuclear arms reduction treaty, which was ratified by the US Senate last month.