Within the framework of the working trip, the IAEA’s mission was welcomed by and made a presentation to Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngọc Anh. The Deputy Minister emphasized IAEA’s role in supporting Viet Nam to achieve “Extended conclusions” at the same time Viet Nam’s commitments on using nuclear materials for peaceful purposes and proposed IAEA to continue its close cooperation with Viet Nam in this field.
Participating in the working trip, on VARANS’ side were Professor, PhD. Vương Hữu Tấn, VARANS’ Director; PhD. Nguyễn Nữ Hoài Vi, Head of Department of Nuclear Security and Inspection and other relevant officials. On the IAEA’s side were Mr. R. Zarucki, Head of Inspection Division OA3 and Ms. S. Abd Elrahman, inspection expert in charge of Viet Nam.
Viet Nam has entered the Inspection Agreement with IAEA since 1989 and the Additional Protocol since 2012. In May 5, 2015, IAEA had “Extended conclusions” on nuclear activities in Viet Nam.
According to the Inspection Agreement, IAEA has carried out inspection on Đà Lạt Nuclear Reactor Pile once a year. For agencies with small volumes of nuclear materials as Institute for Technology of Radioactivity and Rare Materials, Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, IAEA would carry out once every 4 year. In addition the IAEA’s inspection, every year Viet Nam needs to send accounting reports on nuclear materials to IAEA according to the standard template (about 6 reports a year).
From September 2012, after the Additional Protocol was approved, every year Viet Nam has sent declarations according to requirements of the Protocol and the IAEA’s inspection experts have carried out additional access (only at 24-hour notice). So far. Viet Nam has submitted 52 declarations to IAEA and successfully received 08 additional accesses.
IAEA has carried out nuclear inspections for around 180 nations in the world. Annually, on the basis of local inspections and receiving of accounting reports on nuclear materials according to the Inspection Agreement as well as declarations according to the Additional Protocol and collection of information from public sources, IAEA has carried out assessment on the nuclear program of each nation, prepared the Report on Inspection activities to submit to theIAEA’s Board of Governors (often in May every year).
For Viet Nam, with VARANS’ careful preparation during the time of approving the Additional Protocol as well as with its efforts and close cooperation from domestic inspected agencies during the inspection process, only after 2-year implementation of the Additional Protocol, in May 2015, IAEA submitted to the Board of Governors the fact that IAEA has reached the “Extended conclusions” for Viet Nam, namely none of Viet Nam’s nuclear materials and activities have not been declared. In other words, all of Viet Nam’s nuclear materials and activities have been declared. With these conclusions, IAEA will carried out overall assessment on inspection for Viet Nam, in which IAEA will have general assessments on Viet Nam’s nuclear materials and activities.
This is a significant progress of Viet Nam in the nuclear inspection field, which shows its transparency in nuclear activities, and therefore helps strengthen the international community’s trust on Viet Nam’s nuclear program, creating favorable conditions for our country’s nuclear power program.