Russia’s Rosatom State Corporation and Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology have signed an intergovernmental roadmap outlining long-term cooperation in nuclear technology development through 2030.

The agreement, signed in Moscow by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Vietnamese Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung, includes key initiatives such as the construction of a Nuclear Science and Technology Center in Vietnam, continued fuel supply for the Da Lat research reactor, Vietnam’s participation in the MBIR-based International Research Center, and personnel training for the country's nuclear industry.

“For decades, research has been the cornerstone of our cooperation,” Likhachev said at the signing ceremony. “In the 1980s, Soviet experts helped restart a U.S.-built research reactor in Da Lat. Now, Vietnamese partners have commissioned us to build a new reactor.

We've already begun preparations at a site in Dong Nai province, near Ho Chi Minh City, where what will likely become Southeast Asia’s most advanced research reactor will be located.”

Likhachev added that the visit by the Vietnamese delegation marks the beginning of a new phase: collaboration on constructing a full-scale nuclear power plant.

“We are offering our flagship VVER-1200 reactor. Of course, further discussions are needed on technical specifications and financial arrangements, and those negotiations have already begun.”

In a prior development, Rosatom Energy Projects—a subsidiary of Rosatom—and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) signed a memorandum of understanding in January 2025 to explore cooperation in nuclear energy development.

Vietnam is also set to join the international consortium behind the MBIR (Multipurpose Fast Neutron Research Reactor) project, which is establishing a cutting-edge International Research Center. The center will host both Russian and international scientists.

Participation in the MBIR consortium grants members rights and responsibilities regarding use of the reactor after its commissioning, under a unified legal framework.

The initiatives mark a significant expansion of Russia-Vietnam nuclear cooperation, underscoring both nations’ strategic commitment to advancing nuclear science, research, and energy capacity in Southeast Asia.

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