Russian state firm offers to help Vietnam develop nuclear power

Its CEO Alexey Likhachev told Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in a phone call Thursday that the company is committed to strengthening cooperation with Vietnam to fulfill high-level agreements between the two countries.

The company wants to send a delegation to Vietnam to discuss technology transfer and development of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Vietnam has recently held talks with Russia on building the Ninh Thuan 1 plant, one of two nuclear planned to be built in the country in the next five years.

Chinh has met Russian President Vladimir Putin and PM Mikhail Mishustin to discuss the partnership.

During the call with Rosatom, Chinh appreciated the contributions made by Russia to Vietnam’s energy sector, including the peaceful use of nuclear energy, training generations of scientists and experts and creating an important foundation for Vietnam’s nuclear energy sector now.

Vietnam values its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Russia and considers the country one of its top priority partners, he said.

It seeks to continue cooperation with Russia across all sectors, including the peaceful use of nuclear energy, for the shared benefit of both countries and to promote regional and global development, he said.

He sought Rosatom’s assistance for strategic projects such as the Ninh Thuan 1 nuclear power plant and the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Research, and resolving obstacles for the two countries to move ahead.

He asked it to train human resources and help strengthen management of the nuclear industry develop other important nuclear-energy applications such as nuclear medicine and irradiation.

Vietnam plans to build two nuclear power plants in the central province of Khanh Hoa to diversify the country’s energy sources, reviving a plan to develop nuclear energy that was scrapped in 2016.