A senior Vietnamese official has underscored Vietnam ’s contribution
to the international community’s efforts to promote the use of nuclear
energy for peaceful purpose, nuclear safety and security,
non-proliferation, and international cooperation in the field with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) playing the central role.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tien made the
remark at the plenary session of the 57 th IAEA General Conference in
Vienna , Austria on September 17.
Tien said as a
responsible member of the global community in nuclear safety, security
and non-proliferation, Vietnam completed the fuel conversion
programme for its Da Lat research reactor during the past year.
The country has also ratified the supplementary protocol to its
Safeguards Agreement with IAEA, joined the Convention on Physical
Protection of Nuclear Material and ratified the revised section of the
convention, the deputy minister said.
At the same time, he
affirmed that Vietnam has basically completed procedures to soon
join the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and
Radioactive Waste Management.
Deputy Minister Tien also
spoke about the process of Vietnam ’s nuclear power project, and the
use of nuclear power to serve socio-economic development in the country
over the past year.
On the sidelines of the event, the
Vietnamese delegation held meetings with foreign counterparts and IAEA’s
competent agencies with a view to expanding bilateral and multilateral
cooperation in nuclear security, safety, inspection and infrastructure
building.
Earlier, at the opening of the 57 th IAEA General
Conference on September 16, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano
highlighted the outcomes of two ministerial conferences held by the IAEA
during the past year, which forecast that nuclear power will account
for 17-29 percent of the world’s electricity output in the next 20
years.
He said IAEA stands ready to help countries with
nuclear application and management of used nuclear materials and
radioactive waste.
At the session, which will last until
September 20, Brunei and Bahamas became the two latest members
of the IAEA, while Amano was re-elected for the second four-year term as
IAEA Director General.
The session will discuss IAEA’s
agenda and activities, adopt a budget for next year and elect members to
its governing board and executive bodies.-VNA