VNEEP - National progaram on Energy Efficer and Conservation

Russia backs Vietnam’s plans to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes, affirms First Deputy Prime Minister Shuvalov.

Mr Shuvalov made the statement at a meeting of the Co-chair of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation held in Hanoi on November 21.

The Russian Deputy PM appreciated Vietnam’s nuclear power development plans and highlighted the potential for cooperation between the two countries in this field.

He pledged to prioritize boosting cooperation with Vietnam, saying the Southeast Asian nation has been a reliable traditional partner of Russia for many years.

Russia is one of the countries that have been selected by Vietnam to build the first nuclear power plant in the central coastal province of Binh Thuan.

Last year, Russia reached agreements on technical cooperation, personnel training and the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes with the Ministry of Science and Technology and Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN).

Mr Shuvalov also expressed his wish to establish a bilateral free trade area between Russia and Vietnam aiming to increase the two-way trade from the current US$ 2 billion to US$3 billion in 2012 and US$10 billion by 2020.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai emphasized that Vietnam always attaches importance to strengthening its traditional relationship with Russia.

The two countries’ traditional friendship and strategic partnership has continuously developed, especially in national security and defence, health care, education, finance, science and technology, which has brought great benefits to both peoples, he said.

At the event, the Vietnamese and Russian leaders also agreed to draw up new cooperation projects in real estate development and telecommunications.

By LM