With the support and input of the IAEA, the Viet Nam Atomic Energy Agency (VAEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), on October 10, with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to establish and enhance a new, cooperative for the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during a visit by a Vietnamese delegation to ANSTO headquarters in Sydney, Australia. This cooperation has been supported by an ongoing national TC project[1], which aims to assist Viet Nam as it develops new nuclear infrastructure and expands its engagement with nuclear science and technology for development.
Signed by the CEO of ANSTO, Dr Adi Paterson, and by the Director General of VAEA, Dr Hoang Anh Tuan, the bilateral agreement establishes a strong basis for future activities in the areas of research reactor operation and utilisation, environmental monitoring of mining tails, and food provenance.
"ANSTO has worked with a variety of Vietnamese agencies for many years through multilateral fora such as the IAEA, the Regional Cooperative Agreement, and the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia,” explained Dr Adi Paterson. “This MoU will give us an opportunity to cooperate with Viet Nam more closely on areas of mutual benefit,” Dr Paterson continued.
In the addition to signing the MoU, this visit from VAEA delegates to Australia was the occasion for experts from the Tran Hung Dao Hospital and the Viet Nam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS) to engage in an intensive, week-long programme, financed and organized through the TC programme, to learn about the work of Australian institutes dealing with nuclear science and technology.
The delegation’s itinerary included a visit to the Australian Synchrotron to see the cutting-edge work conducted by ANTSO in the field of nuclear research. At the Victoria Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC), the delegation observed nuclear medicine professionals at work, and at the laboratories of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) the delegation members gained a better understanding of how the country conducts its regulatory standard-setting, dosimetry verification, and its environmental monitoring.
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[1] VIE2014, ‘Strengthening the National Nuclear Infrastructure - Phase II’
