Vietnam attends the 69th Session of the IAEA General Conference

The delegation also included Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the IAEA and international organizations, along with representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in Austria and units under the Ministry of Science and Technology .

Photo caption — Mr. Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, speaks at the Plenary Session. Photo: VNA

This year's session brought together more than 2,000 senior officials and representatives from 179 IAEA member states, focusing on discussing key issues such as the role of nuclear science and technology in sustainable development, ensuring nuclear safety and security, and enhancing the effectiveness of inspection work.

In his opening remarks, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stressed that the conference took place in a context where the world is facing many challenges: terrorism, military conflicts, the decline of nuclear standards and the growing gap between rich and poor. He affirmed that the IAEA continues to carry out its mission of both preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and promoting the application of nuclear science to solve global problems in energy, health and poverty reduction.

Representing Vietnam 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 informed that in November 2024, the Vietnamese National Assembly approved the continued implementation of the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project - a decision of historic significance to strengthen energy infrastructure, ensure long-term energy security, enhance science and technology capacity and develop high-quality human resources.

Vietnam reaffirms its commitment to accompany the IAEA in applying nuclear technology for sustainable development, and actively participates in many international initiatives such as: ZODIAC (controlling infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans), NUTEC Plastics (reducing microplastics in the ocean), Atoms4Food (enhancing food production and safety) and Rays of Hope (controlling and reducing cancer).

On the sidelines of the meeting, Deputy Minister Le Xuan Dinh had meetings with IAEA Deputy Director General Karine Herviou (in charge of Nuclear Safety and Security) and Deputy Director General Mikhail Chudakov (in charge of Nuclear Energy). Here, Vietnam requested IAEA to continue supporting in key projects, including: building new research reactors, preparing for nuclear power deployment, developing small modular reactor (SMR) technology, improving the capacity of nuclear safety and security management agencies and assessing the safety of the entire life cycle of nuclear power plants.

Notably, on September 16, 2025, Vietnam and the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with the Department of Radiation and Nuclear Safety, marking an important step forward in international cooperation to enhance capacity, ensure nuclear security and promote cooperation in the region.

Within the framework of the side events, representatives of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) gave many presentations, notably contributing to the NUTEC Plastics initiative through the results of marine microplastic monitoring in Vietnam. This activity has received high appreciation from the international community, and at the same time affirmed Vietnam's increasingly proactive and positive role in the IAEA's common efforts for a safe and sustainable world.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/viet-nam-tham-du-khoa-hop-lan-thu-69-dai-hoi-dong-iaea-20250918212011356.htm