Vietnam and Korea share experiences on nuclear safety and security

(CPV) – "Vietnam places top priority on using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and ensuring its safety and security", said Vice Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tien at the "Towards the 2012 Seoul nuclear security summit" forum held in Hanoi on December 27th .

(CPV) – "Vietnam places top priority on using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and ensuring its safety and security", said Vice Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tien at the "Towards the 2012 Seoul nuclear security summit" forum held in Hanoi on December 27th .

The event was co-organized by the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Vietnam's Ministry of Science and Technology and the Korean Embassy in Vietnam.

Right after the worst terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11 th ten years ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called all its member states and territories to strictly obey the Action Code on nuclear safety and security.

Vice Minister Le Dinh Tien emphasised Vietnam's policy of pursuing a comprehensive nuclear energy strategy and backing the disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

"Vietnam supports the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and joins efforts with the international community to counter all forms of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The relevant Vietnamese authorities are completing the legal foundation, upgrading infrastructure and training human resources to ensure the safety and security of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes", he stressed.

Korean Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr Ha Chan -ho, made his speech at the forum. (Photo: ATP)

At the forum, speakers from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC) and the Korean Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) briefly introduced preparations for the 2012 Seoul nuclear security summit, as well as the legal infrastructure of the country on nuclear security and nonproliferation, and Korea's nuclear response management system.

According to Korean Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr Ha Chan- ho, the forum is a really good chance for experts and law-makers from both sides to share ideas, experiences and practical solutions to nuclear security and safety issue.

The upcoming bi-annual summit will take place on March 26th – 27th with the participation of top leaders from about 50 countries, including the United States, Russia, China, Japan, Britain and France. The summit has the theme "Beyond security towards peace ", which will be the second such meeting following one in the United States in April 2010. It is aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism.

One of the key topics at the Seoul summit will be how to protect vulnerable radioactive materials worldwide so terrorists could not use them to make a crude nuclear bomb. They will discuss "practical and concrete" ways to prevent the threat of nuclear terrorism and ensure the safety of atomic energy. It will be the largest diplomatic event to be hosted by Korea, even bigger than the Seoul Group of 20 Summit in November 2010.

In Vietnam, the Prime Minister issued the Decision 1208 on July 21st, 2011 for the national electricity development master plan in the 2011-2030 period. Following that, the nation will operate the first ever 1,000 MW nuclear power plant turbine in 2020, and increasing the total output capacity of nuclear power plants to 10,700 MW in 2030.

The nation has also selected Ninh Thuan province as the location of the first ever nuclear power plants with investment from the Vietnam National Electricity Group./.

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