The signing of the agreement took place on Monday during the official visit of Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Moscow. It was signed by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Tran Van Son, Minister and Head of the Office of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in the presence of the Vietnamese Prime Minister and his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin.
Mishustin said that "creation of the nuclear plant will give a strong impetus to development of cooperation in adjacent areas - high technologies, fundamental and applied research".
Rosatom said the intergovernmental agreement "regulates the conditions and key areas of cooperation between the parties in implementing the project for the construction of the nuclear power plant ... Leningrad NPP‑2 (power units No 1 and No 2) has been selected as the reference project. The document establishes the necessary legal framework for the construction of the plant and will shape the direction of Russian‑Vietnamese cooperation in the nuclear field for decades to come".
Likhachev said: "For us, this is not merely an agreement to build two nuclear power units. We see it as the foundation for a long‑term industrial partnership that will strengthen Vietnam's energy independence and open up new opportunities for economic growth."
Background
A previous project, in the central province of Ninh Thuan, was approved in principle by the government in 2009 and was going to feature Russian VVER-1200 reactors - but project work was halted in 2016 because of "economic conditions". Considerable work was done at the site before the project's indefinite postponement, including relocating two villages with much upgrading of facilities and infrastructure.
The Vietnamese government has since revived its nuclear energy ambitions - citing energy security, development and net zero targets - and has been exploring the possibilities of small modular reactors. The National Assembly approved the government's proposal to restart the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project at its 8th working session in November 2024.
Vietnam's proposed Ninh Thuan nuclear power project consists of two plants, with each plant comprising two reactors. The Ninh Thuan 1 plant is located in Phuoc Dinh commune, Thuan Nam district. The Ninh Thuan 2 plant is located in Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district.
In February last year, Vietnam's prime minister set a target to complete the construction of two nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan province by the end of 2030.
Russia and Vietnam have existing nuclear technology links, notably with the development of plans for a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam, which includes a Russian‑designed research reactor. The existing Dalat research reactor uses Russian‑supplied fuel and provides Vietnam with medical isotopes.
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