Vietnamese President To Lam and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during To Lam’s Moscow visit that their governments will swiftly negotiate and finalize agreements to build nuclear power plants in Vietnam. According to a joint communique, these facilities will employ state-of-the-art reactor designs and adhere rigorously to international nuclear and radiation safety norms, supporting Vietnam’s socio-economic growth.
The Southeast Asian nation had put its nuclear programme on hold following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. Now, as Vietnam’s economy and electricity consumption expand rapidly, the government has reinstated plans for its first nuclear installations, totaling up to 6.4 GW in capacity. These reactors are targeted to come online between 2030 and 2035.
Earlier this year, Hanoi opened discussions with a range of potential partners including Japan, South Korea, France and the United States to secure technology and investment. Russia, with its long track record in nuclear exports, remains a frontrunner alongside those competitors.
In addition to nuclear cooperation, Russia and Vietnam pledged to deepen ties in the oil and gas sector. The agreement covers increased exports of Russian crude oil and liquefied natural gas to Vietnam, as well as measures to lower investment barriers for energy firms operating in each country.
