IAEA’s role in promoting atomic energy application praised

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (R) and IAEA Deputy General Director Najat Mokhtar (Photo: VNA)

The Deputy PM highlighted the growing ties between Vietnam and the IAEA in recent years via technical cooperation projects, including developing nuclear infrastructure in healthcare, agriculture, industry, environmental protection, food security, and climate change response.

He also praised the IAEA for having contributed to raising the capacity of building Vietnam’s legal documents in the fields of nuclear energy, radiation, and nuclear safety management.

Vietnam launched 20 national and 48 regional or inter-regional projects funded by the IAEA during 2014-2019. For the 2020-2021 period, five new projects have got approval from the IAEA.

In late 2018, the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute and the IAEA inked an agreement on setting up a cooperation centre using nuclear technology for the management of water resources and the environment in Vietnam and coastal areas in Southeast Asia.

Mokhtar herself also helped Vietnam’s medical establishments use nuclear technology in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Dam said he hopes that the IAEA and Mokhtar would continue supporting Vietnam in registering new technical cooperation projects, personnel training, and building a nuclear science and technology research centre.

In reply, the IAEA Deputy General Director said Vietnam is the first country she chose to visit after assuming the position. She also applauded Vietnam’s achievements in adopting nuclear technology for peaceful purposes while expressing her desire to learn about the country’s nuclear technology application in socio-economic sectors during her visit.

During her visit, the IAEA official visited a number of research and medical establishments using nuclear technology and had working sessions with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health to discuss specific technical cooperation activities in the time ahead.