IAEA pledges to help Vietnam in developing nuclear energy

General director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the agency would provide supports for Vietnam in construction of the country's nuclear power plants. The IAEA chief Yukiya Amano made the commitment while talking with press agencies in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Thursday during his working visit to the country. IAEA will send delegations of leading experts to Vietnam to discuss issues of infrastructure construction, safety and other nuclear-related issues. The agency also planned to send a delegation to the country annually to help with applications of atomic energy, said Amano. In addition, the IAEA will support Vietnam through technical projects. During the 2012-2013 period, IAEA funded 1 million euro for Vietnam to develop these projects, including nuclear energy infrastructure and laboratory upgrading. Currently, there are around 30 countries and territories developing nuclear energy around the world, said the IAEA chief, adding that a number of other countries are considering entering the group. Vietnam is planning to build its first two nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan province, some 1,100 km south of capital Hanoi. The construction of the first plant is expected to start in 2014 and to be commissioned by 2020. Vietnam joined the IAEA in 1978 and it was elected to the Board of Governors of the IAEA in 2013. Vietnamese government in 2006 adopted a national strategy for nuclear power development for peaceful purposes. During the 2014-2015 period, IAEA has approved funding for five Vietnamese projects, focusing on infrastructure construction, nuclear power legislation, and nuclear technology applications in industry, agriculture, health care and the building of the country 's two nuclear power plants. This is the second visit by the IAEA chief to Vietnam following an earlier trip in October, 2011. The visit, from Tuesday to Saturday, is being made at the invitation of Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh.