With the approval of the Prime Minister, from September 15-19, 2025, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology (MOST) Le Xuan Dinh led the Vietnamese delegation to attend the 69th Session of the General Assembly of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Joining the delegation were Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, Ambassador of Vietnam to the Republic of Austria, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the IAEA and international organizations, representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in Austria, and leaders and officers of units under the Ministry of Science and Technology .
Vietnamese delegation attends the 69th Session of the IAEA General Conference.
Promoting nuclear energy for peaceful purposes
The meeting was held at the Vienna International Centre, Austria with the participation of more than 2,000 senior officials and representatives of 179 IAEA member countries to exchange and share information on the role of science and technology development and promoting nuclear applications; issues of ensuring nuclear safety and security; and improving the effectiveness of nuclear inspection activities.
At the Opening Ceremony of the General Conference on 15 September 2025, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stressed that the Session takes place at an extremely challenging time. Terrorist acts, multiple military conflicts and the erosion of nuclear norms are taking place against a backdrop of a growing gap between poverty and prosperity. The IAEA is carrying out its mission to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation and promote nuclear science to address poverty, energy and health issues.
Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, spoke at the Plenary Session.
Speaking at the Plenary Session, Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang highly appreciated the efforts and achievements of the IAEA in promoting nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The Ambassador emphasized that the Vietnamese National Assembly's approval to continue implementing the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project in November 2024 is an important turning point decision to ensure national energy security, develop high-quality human resources and improve the country's science and technology capacity.
The Ambassador affirmed Vietnam's commitment to the application of nuclear technology for sustainable development and addressing global challenges through IAEA initiatives, such as the ZODIAC project (control of zoonotic infectious diseases), NUTEC Plastic (monitoring and mitigating microplastics in the ocean), Atoms4Food (enhancing food production and food safety) and Rays of Hope (control and mitigation of cancer). The IAEA's support to Vietnam in the field of nuclear security is very meaningful through the implementation of the Integrated Sustainable Nuclear Security Plan (INSSP) for the period 2024-2027, of which the typical activity is supporting Vietnam in ensuring nuclear security for major public events during the 80th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Vietnam highly appreciates the IAEA's support through technical cooperation projects to promote the Reactor Safety Development Programme and looks forward to receiving close cooperation. closer cooperation with the IAEA in consulting, human resource development and many other areas to ensure the success of the project.
Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang speaks at the Plenary Session of the 69th Session of the IAEA General Conference.
IAEA is ready to support Vietnam in developing and applying nuclear energy.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh worked with Ms. Karine Herviou, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security. The Deputy Minister expressed his gratitude to the IAEA in general and Ms. Karine Herviou in her capacity as IAEA Deputy Director General for her active support and assistance to Vietnam over the years in enhancing the country's technical capacity to promote the application of nuclear energy to ensure safety, security and for peaceful purposes. Through the Country Programme Framework (CPF), the IAEA has actively supported Vietnam through technical cooperation projects for the construction of new research reactors and promoting the application of nuclear energy in the fields of health, agriculture, industry, environmental protection, water resource management, climate change response, safety and security.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that Vietnam is currently urgently implementing preparations for the nuclear power project, including completing the legal framework, developing a human resource development plan and disseminating information. During this process, Vietnam hopes that the IAEA will support in improving the capacity of the national nuclear and radiation safety agency in assessing nuclear safety throughout the entire life cycle of nuclear power plants. At the same time, the Deputy Minister also said that the Ministry of Science and Technology is actively implementing the project of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Center, with a 10MW research reactor located in Dong Nai province. This is an important project, expected to promote the development of the nuclear power industry and radiation application in Vietnam in the coming years. Vietnam requests the IAEA to coordinate and support in assessing the basic design of the reactor and safety analysis reports related to the project's location and FS. In addition, small modular reactor (SMR) technology has been identified by Vietnam as a national strategic technology. Vietnam requests the IAEA to share and support Vietnam in building a system of legal documents and standards to manage the safety and security of this very new SMR technology.
Deputy Director General Karine Herviou shared the opinions of the Deputy Minister, affirming that IAEA is always ready to support Vietnam in developing and applying nuclear energy, ensuring safety and security, especially for the key tasks that Vietnam is implementing. At the same time, she also assigned relevant units of IAEA to work directly with Vietnam to implement the tasks already in the plan.
The Vietnamese delegation took a souvenir photo with IAEA Deputy Director General in charge of nuclear safety and security, Ms. Karine Herviou and IAEA staff.
Also on September 15, 2025, Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh had a working session with Mr. Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Nuclear Energy Department. The Deputy Minister expressed Vietnam's deep appreciation for the IAEA's timely and valuable support for Vietnam in building a national nuclear infrastructure from a very early age and has achieved much progress so far. Currently, the Ministry of Science and Technology is being assigned by the Government to coordinate with the IAEA to complete the assessment of the nuclear power infrastructure, and the Nuclear Power Infrastructure Assessment Mission (INIR Mission) is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Based on the recommendations of the IAEA mission, Vietnam will develop a Master Plan for the Development of Nuclear Power Infrastructure, specifying the tasks of relevant ministries and branches to promote the progress of nuclear power projects.
Deputy Director General Mikhail Chudakov affirmed that the IAEA is always ready to support Vietnam in implementing many important national programs, including the construction of nuclear power plants, new research reactors, and SMR technology. The IAEA Deputy Director General suggested that Vietnam consider developing a national policy on the safe management of radioactive waste and spent fuel right from the initial stages of implementing the above projects, in order to ensure the safe management of all nuclear activities in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese delegation took a souvenir photo with IAEA Deputy Director General in charge of nuclear energy, Mr. Mikhail Chudakov and IAEA staff.
Strengthening nuclear security
On September 16, 2025, on the sidelines of the General Assembly Meeting, Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh witnessed the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) and the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VASR). At the signing ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Linh, Director of VASR, said that the Memorandum of Understanding demonstrates the common commitment of both sides to strengthening nuclear security, improving capacity and promoting international cooperation in this field. In recent years, officers of the VASR and a number of relevant agencies of Vietnam have participated in a number of human resource training activities on nuclear security organized by WINS for countries in the Southeast Asian region. VASR hopes to continue to receive WINS's cooperation and support to contribute to improving activities to ensure the safety and security of nuclear and radioactive materials in Vietnam. Mr. Lars van Dassen, Executive Director of WINS, expressed his readiness to cooperate with the Department of Nuclear Safety to organize activities within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding, contributing to strengthening regional and global nuclear security.
Mr. Lars van Dassen, CEO of WINS and Mr. Nguyen Hoang Linh, Director of the Department of Nuclear Safety at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh took a souvenir photo at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between WINS and the Department of Nuclear Safety.
On September 16-17, 2025, Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM), attended and presented reports at two side events within the framework of the 69th IAEA General Assembly. On September 16, at the event organized by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Mr. Tran Chi Thanh gave a speech on the topic " Contributions and future orientations of VINATOM in expanding and developing nuclear science and technology in Vietnam ", sharing Vietnam's achievements and experiences in applying nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, serving socio-economic development, while emphasizing the important role of international cooperation in scientific research, human resource training and technological capacity building.
Dr. Tran Chi Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, presented at the event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of JAEA.
At the side event "NUTEC Plastics: Achievements, Progress and Prospects" within the framework of the 69th IAEA General Conference on September 17, 2025, Dr. Ha Lan Anh, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, VINATARINE, presented a report, introducing Vietnam's achievements in marine microplastic monitoring, from building an IAEA-standard laboratory to providing the first baseline data at Do Son beach, along with periodic monitoring activities, applying stable isotopes to distinguish virgin and recycled plastics, and contributing data to the common database of NUTEC Plastics. She emphasized the role of nuclear science in tracing the origin and assessing microplastic accumulation, and affirmed that Vietnam's active participation, combined with international cooperation, is an important contribution to the goal of establishing a Global Microplastic Monitoring Network by 2026, receiving attention and appreciation from international delegates.
Dr. Ha Lan Anh, Vietnam Institute of Nuclear Energy presented a report at the NUTEC Plastics Event on September 17, 2025.
During the General Assembly, the Department of Nuclear Safety and the Vietnam Institute of Nuclear Energy also organized bilateral and multilateral working sessions to strengthen connections and exchange cooperation directions in the coming time.
Source: https://mst.gov.vn/viet-nam-tham-du-khoa-hop-lan-thu-69-dai-hoi-dong-co-quan-nang-luong-nguyen-tu-quoc-te-197250918192256809.htm
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