Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tien met with Mr. David B. Sandalow (Photo: PN)
Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tien said that over the past time Vietnam and the US have had practical and efficient cooperation in the atomic energy field as training for human resources, developing legal and regulatory documents, ensuring nuclear security and safety.
Vietnam has received efficient support from the US party for changing highenriched uranium (HEU) into low enriched uranium (LEU) in Đà Lạt nuclear research reactor pile. Recently, Vietnam has entirely changed HEU into LEU and successfully put Đà Lạt nuclear research reactor pile into operation. Vietnam will soon signed the Inter-government Agreement with the Federal Russia on moving burned fuels from Đà Lạt nuclear research reactor pile. Accordingly, it is expected that by the end of 2012, early 2013 Vietnam will be able to move all burned fuel to the Russian side.
Vietnam has also received support of US’s Ministry of Energy for providing equipment to control HEU, installed equipment in 21/23 units with HEU and it is expected in 2012 the installation of equipment in the 2 remaining units would be completed.
Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tien said that regarding the development of nuclear energy, Vietnam’s consistent points of view were to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and ensure its responsible safety and security in this field. Vietnam has actively prepared for some activities to participate in the coming 2nd Summit Conference on Nuclear Security in South Korea.
Mr. David B. Sandalow said that US has been a developed country with high level in the atomic energy field. The US has had some of world’s leading companies in terms of nuclear energy which are of high level of technology in this field. During the process Vietnam moved to build the first nuclear power plant as well as selected ways to develop nuclear energy in the future, US companies hoped to cooperate with Vietnam in this field.
Mr. David B. Sandalow also highly appreciated the cooperation of Vietnamese Government in the atomic energy and hoped that Vietnam would soon approve the additional Protocol. Regarding the framework on international cooperation in the nuclear energy field, Mr. David B. Sandalow hoped that Vietnam would soon fully participate in this international mechanism.
The two partied discussed on the promotion to soon complete negotiations and signing of Cooperation Agreements in the civil nuclear energy field (Agreement 123).
Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tien expressed his desires that the two countries would continue to strengthencooperation for the coming time. For the time being, signed Agreement 123 would be the legal basis for cooperation between Vietnam and US in the atomic energy field.