Vietnam is responsible for global energy security

The third Nuclear Security Summit

Using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes while curtailing the proliferation of nuclear weapons are common goals towards which the international community is moving. Along with encouraging countries to implement voluntary measures in accordance with their abilities, countries need to have concrete, appropriate programs and solutions to assist developing countries in this field and continue to strengthen the role of multilateral institutions, especially the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations.

According to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, having acknowledged that every country is responsible for ensuring nuclear security, Vietnam has gradually improved its laws on nuclear security, ensuring security controls in almost high-intensity radioactive sources, and began implementing measures to control import and export of radioactive sources in a number of airports and seaports, training staff and building energy security ethics in agencies while actively participating in legal and international initiatives related to nuclear security.

After the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington and the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, Vietnam ratified the Additional Protocol and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and the amendment to this convention (October 2012), cooperated with the IAEA, the Russian Federation and the United States to complete the transfer of all of the highly enriched, used uranium fuel to the Russian Federation, successfully finished the program for fuel conversion for the research reactor in Da Lat (July 2013), and joined the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (October 2013). Vietnam is actively preparing to accede to the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

Vietnam's caution is also reflected with a very concrete, practical action. In early 2014, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announced that the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Vietnam would be delayed, a decision supported by many experts.

The decision became an absolute necessity after the Fukushima incident in Japan. Many countries, including Vietnam, have to review their policies and preparations for nuclear power development.

Vietnam worked closely with Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries to build a peaceful and stable Southeast Asia without nuclear weapons, and strengthened cooperation with the IAEA and many other countries in the development of infrastructure and conditions necessary to implement the national nuclear program in an effective and safe manner.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that Vietnam highly appreciated the central role of the IAEA in the international nuclear security structure and that Vietnam has made a positive contribution to the activities of the IAEA and efficiently used the IAEA’s assistance in nuclear security; as a member and the Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors for the 2013-2014 term, Vietnam will try its best together with partners to contribute to ensuring nuclear security worldwide.

Source: VEN