Vietnam Ambassador Nguyen Thiep has affirmed that Vietnam is a responsible member for ensuring safety, security and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons at the 58th session of the General Assembly of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held recently in Vienna, Austria.

The session drew the participation of Austrian Vice President Moriz Pollack, 39 Ministers, 21 Deputy Ministers and Secretaries of State, Ambassadors, delegation heads along with nearly 3,000 delegates from 140 member countries and observers from 17 international organizations and 36 non-governmental organizations.

In his opening speech, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano emphasized the importance of using nuclear technology to serve socio-economic development, especially sustainable development agenda after 2015, developing nuclear power in combination with responding to climate change so as to help member countries carry out development goals in terms of health, agriculture, water management and energy security.

Director General Amano also highlighted the IAEA's technical assistance to developing countries, helping them give a smart choice of nuclear power development, share nuclear power technology experiences with other countries to ensure nuclear safety and radioactive waste management.

The world now has 437 nuclear reactors operating in 30 countries, contributing 11% of total electricity production worldwide. 70 reactors are under construction in Asia which will see the fastest growth and need the most electrical energy.

The 58th session Chairman from Sri Lanka hailed Vietnam role as Chair of the Board of Governors of the IAEA and its contributions to the success of the working group on finance for Technical Cooperation Fund.

Speaking at the session on September 23, the Vietnamese diplomat praised IAEA’s important role in implementing the three nuclear pillars-nuclear safety and security nuclear scientific and technological applications and verification and inspection. He shared views on the need for a balance between the need for nuclear power development, environmental protection and climate change adaptation.

Thiep introduced Vietnam’s outstanding achievements in the application of atomic energy for socio-economic development and implementation of nuclear power projects over the past years.

In addition, he commended the country’s contributions to the joint efforts of the international community in the field within the IAEA framework and the 3rd Summit on Nuclear Security in The Hague, the Netherlands from March 24-25, 2014.

Under the session framework, the Vietnamese delegation participated in the Science Forum 2014 on radioactive waste management and a number of meetings discussing issues related to nuclear safety and security, nuclear inspection, infrastructure, legal and technical cooperation, personnel training and compensation for nuclear damage.

The session, running through September 26, unanimously admitted four new IAEA members-Comoros, Djibuti, Gaiana and Vanuatu. It is expected to consider the adoption of resolutions and decisions on future IAEA programs and operations and elect members of the Board of Governors for the 2014-2015 term.

VOV/VNN