IAEA Deputy Director General Hua Liu (L) and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang. - VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue its cooperation with Việt Nam, especially in technical assistance, personnel training, infrastructure development, and the perfection of regulations and standards to ensure nuclear safety and security, said its Deputy Director General Hua Liu on March 21.

Hua, who is on a visit to Việt Nam, told Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang that during the visit, he held fruitful meetings with representatives from the Ministries of Science and Technology, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Health.

The IAEA has repeatedly hailed Vietnam's pioneering role in sub-regional cooperation, particularly in the trilateral cooperation model between Việt Nam and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia in the application of nuclear science and technology in economic-technological sectors, he stressed.

The IAEA Deputy Director General also pledged to help Việt Nam optimise nuclear technology in smart agriculture.

For his part, Quang thanked the IAEA for its support to Việt Nam over the past years through both bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, elaborating that in the 2018-2023 period alone, the agency directly assisted the country in 17 national projects with total funding of nearly EUR 3 million (US$3.26 million).

The Deputy PM lauded Hua’s efforts in accelerating the signing of the cooperation framework programme between Việt Nam and the IAEA for 2022-2027, and his support to Việt Nam in amending the Law on Atomic Energy.

Quang called on the IAEA to further its cooperation with Việt Nam, especially in policy making and personnel training in atomic energy.

Việt Nam commits to fulfilling its obligations and contributing responsibly to international treaties to which it is a signatory, especially those related to safety and security control, the fight against illegal trafficking and transportation of radioactive substances and nuclear materials, and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, he affirmed.

The official noted that Việt Nam always backs the IAEA's central and leading role in shaping standards and frameworks for nuclear safety and security, especially emerging nuclear technologies. - VNS