The panorama of the Signing ceremony (Photo: Ngũ Hiệp)
This MOU is the ruling agreement to create the important basis for expanding and strengthening the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. Cooperation fields consist of Cooperation on Nuclear Regulations: formulation of legal access and Regulatory Organizations and Technical Support Organizations; Education and Training: strengthening capacity of human resources; Cooperation in research and development for civil nuclear power plants /use of radiation and radio-active isotopes for the social and economic development; Strengthening the management of used radioactive wastes and fuels including technical cooperation services on nuclear fuel cycles, nuclear security and non-popularization of nuclear weapons; Other different forms of cooperation can be decided by participating parties, for example commercial opportunities relating to infrastructure and financial consulting services, public information – telecommunications and responses to nuclear incidents.
The two parties would cooperate in forms of exchanging information, scientific and technical materials; exchanging and training staff (under-graduates, post-graduates, university students...); organizing conferences and workshops; providing relevant services and technical supports; building joint research projects; other forms of cooperation can be agreed and decided by the participating parties.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has had a lot of experience in using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including the development, building, operation, maintenance, removal and safety management of nuclear power plants. The signing of this MOU would create the basis for implement specific programs and projects between the two parties in the atomic energy field on the basis of equality and mutual benefits. This is one of events of important meaning among activities to celebrate 40th years of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2013.
In 2010, the Government of the two countries have signed the Joint Statement on Strategic Partnership Relations, in which S&T is one of the fields prioritized for cooperation between the two countries. Over the past time, S&T cooperation in general and cooperation in the atomic energy field in particular between Viet Nam and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have experienced positive changes. The two parties have cooperated to implement some research projects, including successfully implementing the first stage of the project on “Decoding genes of some Vietnamese local rice breeds” with the full decoding of genic systems of 36 rice breeds; establishing the inter-sectoral library of medical biology, chemistry and natural compounds, located in Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. The United Kingdom of Great Britain has provided a lot of support to Viet Nam as training S&T staff; organizing scientific workshops in fields of nuclear safety, biology technology, medicine and pharmacy.
In the Signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Lê Đình Tiến said that Vietnam’s consistent policy has been that considering nuclear safety and security is the first priority in the use and development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Viet Nam has been widely applying radiation and nuclear techniques, at the same time starting to implement the nuclear power program for the social and economic development. However, as one of following countries in terms of nuclear energy, Vietnam has paid special attention and hoped to expand its international cooperation in this field. Therefore, strengthening cooperation, learning, experience sharing with countries which have advanced nuclear technologies and many successful experience in building, operation, maintenance, removal and safety management for nuclear power plants as the United Kingdome has played a special importance to Viet Nam. The Deputy Minister expressed his hope in the effective cooperation of the two countries would contribute to promote applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Mr. Antony Stokes – British Ambassador to Viet Nam also emphasized that the United Kingdom and Viet Nam have both recognized the necessity to consider energy source to ensure the sustainability of environment, safety, security and cost saving, including nuclear power to meet people’s demands of each country. The MOU has affirmed the special attention of the United Kingdom to sharing its knowledge and experience in this important energy source to Vietnam.