VN gives top priority to nuclear safety and security

The world’s leaders to the Nuclear Security Summit, Washington DC, April 13, 2010 – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc

In the first plenary of the Nuclear Security Summit in the morning of April 13 in Washington DC, the world’s leader showed their unanimity that guaranteeing nuclear security and countering nuclear terrorism are now global concerns which require close cooperation of the international community.

In his remarks delivered at the session, Vietnamese PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng highly values President Barack Obama’s initiative to convene the Summit, which, as he said, is “an important contribution to the common efforts of the international community to ensure nuclear security and safety.”

Việt Nam strongly supports and actively contributes to the international community’s efforts in nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and countering terrorism in all forms while promoting the safe and secured use of nuclear energy for the benefits of all nations, the Vietnamese leader underlined.

“Việt Nam always places top priority to safety and security as it employs nuclear energy,” PM Dũng confirmed, adding that Việt Nam has been proactive in the development and improvement of its legal framework and regulatory bodies to control and ensure the safety and security of the use of nuclear materials and radio-active substances.

So far, Việt Nam has partaken in many important international treaties in this area, including the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Việt Nam has also signed bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia, China, France, India, Republic of Korea, Argentina, and recently concluded a Memorandum of Understanding with the US on cooperation in this field.

The first plenary of the Nuclear Security Summit, Washington DC, April 13, 2010 – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc

As Chair of ASEAN in 2010, Việt Nam is actively contributing to building a prosperous Southeast Asia free from nuclear weapons, said the Vietnamese PM.  

Việt Nam’s high sense responsibility is manifested in its participation in a large number of programs and initiatives of the international community, including its cooperation with the IAEA, the US and Russia on the conversion of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) in the nuclear reactor and with the EU, Japan and the US in the installation of radiation monitoring gates at seaports in Việt Nam.

PM Dũng also affirmed Việt Nam’s support to the guidelines and measures enshrined in the draft documents of the Meeting while underlining the necessity to take into account developing countries’ interest in the application of safe, secured and effective nuclear energy.