Vietnam vows to use nuclear energy for peaceful applications
VOV.VN - A Vietnamese diplomat has reiterated Vietnam’s policy of using nuclear energy for peaceful applications during a recent meeting with Lydie Evrard, deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna (Austria).
Ambassador Nguyen Trung Kien, permanent representative of Vietnam to the IAEA, met Lydie Evrard, who is also head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security of the IAEA, on the sidelines of a regular meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors from June 6-10.
At the meeting, the Vietnamese diplomat highly appreciated the IAEA actively supporting member countries, including Vietnam, in applying nuclear technology in response to global issues for sustainable development, especially during the COVID-19 fight. He stressed the need to promote training and strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation in response to radiation and nuclear incidents and disasters.
The ambassador voiced Vietnam’s keen interest in the application of nuclear energy and technology in various fields such as medicine, biology, agriculture, industry, and the environment for socio-economic development and improvement of people’s living standards. He held that the development of nuclear energy helps to ensure energy security, especially in the context of high fossil fuel prices, and at the same time to contribute to implementing international agreements on climate change response and environmental protection to which Vietnam is a member.
The Vietnamese official affirmed that Vietnam has always made great efforts in ensuring nuclear safety and security and the application of atomic energy for sustainable development.
He requested that the IAEA continue to support Vietnam in completing the legal framework and developing nuclear technology for sustainable development, devising a plan to respond to nuclear incidents, and training high-quality human resources.
For her part, Lydie Evrard said the agency will always support its member countries in using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. The official also affirmed that the cooperation model between the IAEA and Vietnam in a number of fields such as agriculture and disease response has proved successful.
The IAEA official acknowledged Vietnam’s proposals and said the IAEA will improve the capacity of its members, including Vietnam, in response to radiation and nuclear incidents in the coming time, when the COVID-19 pandemic is basically under control.
