On June 25, the International Industrial Exhibition Expo Eurasia Vietnam opened in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, attended by a Rosatom delegation. The event is dedicated to the development of economic, scientific, technical, cultural and political cooperation between Russia and Vietnam, as well as strengthening ties within the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). One of the key events of the forum was the plenary session “Technological Sovereignty and Industrial Cooperation for the Benefit of Business”, attended by public authorities of Vietnam and the CIS countries, as well as representatives of construction and energy companies. It discussed the prospects for long-term cooperation between Russia and Vietnam in various areas, including nuclear medicine, agriculture, digital solutions and others.
Dmitry Raspopin, Director of Rosatom Vietnam Office, made a presentation at the session. “We have long been cooperating with Vietnam in the field of nuclear technology on a number of projects that have proven to be effective. We are ready to continue our cooperation with Vietnam, offering a set of efficient, safe and green technologies. They will help not only strengthen our own energy security, but also make a significant breakthrough in the development of industrial production,” he emphasized.
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Russia and Vietnam actively interact in various fields: for instance, in January 2025, Rosatom and Vietnam Electricity (EVN) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop cooperation in the nuclear energy sector. In May 2025, Rosatom and Vietnam signed an interdepartmental roadmap for the development of nuclear technologies until 2030. The roadmap covers the construction of a nuclear science and technology center, fuel supplies for the Dalat research reactor, Vietnamese participation in the Consortium “International Research Center based on the MBIR reactor” and personnel training for the Vietnamese nuclear industry.
The MBIR is a multipurpose fast neutron research reactor with a sodium coolant and thermal power of approximately 150 MW. The reactor is being built in the city of Dimitrovgrad in SSC NIIAR, JSC. In December 2024, installation of process equipment for the first heat removal circuit and transportation and technological systems of the research reactor began. The reactor is expected to be commissioned in 2028.
The International Research Center (IRC) MBIR is being established on the basis of the MBIR reactor. Its team will comprise Russian and foreign researchers. Activities of the center will be guided by the consortium “International Research Center based on the MBIR reactor”. New participants join the MBIR project by signing a consortium agreement. It is a legal formalization of the parties’ relations that stipulates the rights and obligations of the participants regarding the use of the MBIR reactor resource after its commissioning. Russian and foreign partners get the opportunity to conduct experiments required by national programs for the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without the need to own the reactor unit directly or the corresponding obligations to ensure its safe operation, as well as to control and account for nuclear materials. This approach allows for flexible utilization of the reactor resource to meet the needs of academic community members. Negotiations are currently underway with potential partners from the CIS countries and China.