Rubio dodges questions on reports of US-Saudi nuclear energy pact

Asked about reports that the US and Saudi Arabia have signed a nuclear energy pact, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio directs any questions to the White House.

“I’ll let the White House officials sort of put out an official statement about anything in regards to that,” Rubio tells reporters during a press conference in the Philippines.

Stumbling a bit in his response, Rubio also says: “I’d prefer it be, you know, put out when there is something to say that we will say through official channels.”

He is also asked about the risk of the US signing an agreement with a Middle Eastern country that does not include the “gold standard” promise to refrain from enriching or reprocessing uranium.

Rubio says he will not “opine directly on that agreement” with Saudi Arabia, but then says “the US is not going to reach any agreement with any country in the world that leads to the risk of proliferation.”