Vietnam makes safety top priority in nuclear energy
(VNA) Vietnam gives top priority to safety and security in developing the application of nuclear energy, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April 13.
Consequently, Vietnam has actively built and completed a legal basis and a management agency system on control, safety and security in using nuclear materials and radioactive substances, he added.
In his speech, the PM stressed Vietnam’s strong support and contributions to international efforts on disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, combating terrorism in all forms and promoting the use of safe, secure nuclear energy for peaceful purposes for the benefit of nations.
Vietnam has welcomed the recent signing of the strategic arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States, PM Dung said, describing the event as an important step forward in the common effort towards a nuclear weapon-free world.
He noted that Vietnam has joined a number of important international treaties related to the issue, and affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s decision to participate in the nuclear safety treaty and back the global initiative against nuclear terrorism.
As ASEAN Chair in 2010, Vietnam has actively made contributions to building a prosperous and nuclear weapon-free South East Asian region, the PM said.
The country’s awareness and responsibility are also shown in its involvement in a series of international programmes and initiatives. These include cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the US and Russia on converting highly-enriched uranium into usable nuclear fuel at a research reactor, and cooperation with the European Union, Japan and the US in the use of radiation detecting equipment at seaports in Vietnam.
As a nation accelerating its application of nuclear energy and beginning a nuclear electricity programme, Vietnam is willing to expand international cooperation in the area, the PM said, adding that the country signed bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia, China, France, India, the Republic of Korea, and Argentina, along with a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the US.
PM Dung affirmed Vietnam’s support for orientations and overall measures in the summit’s draft documents, including enhancement of effectiveness of available treaties, mechanisms, international organisations, the responsibilities of nations, and the involvement of nuclear industries in each country.
The PM also stressed the need to meet the concerns of developing countries regarding the safe, secure and effective application of nuclear energy, creating the necessary conditions for the IAEA’s operations.
PM Dung took this opportunity to thank the international community and express the wish to continue cooperating with it in the application of nuclear energy for purposes of peace and development./.
