Vietnam and Russia have signed an agreement on nuclear energy alongside several other cooperation deals, as reported by Reuters. The signing took place during Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's visit to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.
The move marks a significant step for Vietnam as it seeks to reboot its nuclear energy programme after a period of suspension.
The Southeast Asian nation is looking to ramp up power production to support its expanding industrial sector, which is central to its economic growth.
Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom and Vietnam's state-owned power utility EVN have agreed to enhance their nuclear collaboration.
The specifics of their agreement formed part of a joint document outlining the cooperation deals signed. These have not been disclosed to the public.
Despite the US imposing numerous sanctions on Rosatom's subsidiaries and top officials — with the latest measures announced in early January 2025 by the US Department of State — Vietnam continues to strengthen its ties with Moscow.
In response to the sanctions, Rosatom has condemned the actions taken by the US, stating that they are unfounded and unlawful and represent a form of unfair competition from unfriendly states.
As part of their deepening partnership, Moscow has consented to transfer a maritime research vessel to Vietnam, under an arrangement between Vietnam's defence ministry and Russia's science ministry.
The Vietnamese government highlights on its website that both parties would assess, discuss and seek solutions to the challenges in bilateral cooperation, referring to the agreements signed.
But Western sanctions imposed on Russia due to its military activities in Ukraine have complicated financial transactions between Hanoi and Moscow, presenting challenges to future collaboration.
In a separate development, Poland has taken a significant step towards establishing its first nuclear power plant by approving funding of up to 60.2bn zlotys ($14.7bn).
The funding is crucial for the project, which is still awaiting approval from the European Union.
