Vietnam always attaches importance to cooperation with IAEA

Vietnam has been receiving valuable assistance from the IAEA and Vietnam always values ​​cooperation with the IAEA.

On September 17, 2012, in Vienna, Austria, the 56th Annual General Meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) took place. 155 member countries, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and press agencies from many countries attended and reported on the event. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan.

The meeting aimed to review the IAEA's activities since the previous meeting and continue to discuss issues related to nuclear safety and security, health development, energy, budget and policies related to the future of atomic energy.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan and IAEA inspectors.

Speaking at the meeting, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano reviewed some of the progress in 2011, especially after the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami, affirming that the cooperation and solidarity of the international community in developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes will continue to produce positive results. He also said that a number of developed countries are building new nuclear power plants, including Vietnam and Bangladesh, which are also starting their own nuclear power projects.

In his speech at the Session, Minister Nguyen Quan affirmed that Vietnam has been focusing all efforts on perfecting the legal framework, building capacity for the National Nuclear Regulatory Authority and technical support organizations, developing emergency response plans; supporting and implementing the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, and welcoming nuclear power countries that have conducted safety assessments of nuclear power plants and taken necessary actions to enhance nuclear safety.

At the same time, Minister Nguyen Quan also informed the entire session that the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has ratified the Additional Protocol; the necessary procedures to declare accession to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and ratify the Amendment to the Convention have also been completed and submitted to the President for decision as soon as possible.

Regarding nuclear power, with the cooperation of Russia and Japan, Minister Nguyen Quan also said that Vietnam is currently conducting a feasibility study for the Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Plant Projects. With the viewpoint: "Nuclear safety and security must be ensured at the highest level", the Vietnamese Government is actively preparing the necessary conditions and will decide to start construction of these nuclear power plants after having well prepared the infrastructure for nuclear power and human resources according to the IAEA's guidelines and international experience.

Minister Nguyen Quan affirmed that in the process of implementing the Strategy for the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, Vietnam always attaches importance to cooperation with the IAEA, member states and other international organizations in all fields related to nuclear energy.

Regarding bilateral cooperation, Minister Nguyen Quan also said that Vietnam will continue to cooperate with the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea on issues related to safety, security, inspection, and liability for nuclear damage; cooperate with Russia in building a new Nuclear Science and Technology Center, with South Korea in building a Cyclotron Accelerator Center to serve nuclear medicine research, and with several other countries in research and application of nuclear technology.

Within the framework of the Vietnam - IAEA National Framework Programme for the period 2011-2015, Minister Nguyen Quan affirmed: Vietnam has been receiving valuable assistance from the IAEA. In the period 2012-2013, along with the implementation of 5 technical cooperation projects, Vietnam participated in 43 regional and inter-regional projects. These projects have helped Vietnam in expanding radiation applications, developing national nuclear power infrastructure and enhancing technical capacity for the national nuclear regulatory agency; Affirming Vietnam's full support for the activities of the IAEA in enhancing and promoting the application of nuclear science and technology for a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous world.

On the same day, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan also had bilateral meetings with partners such as Japan, France, and Russia to discuss issues related to nuclear cooperation./.

According to (vov.vn)-LT