Vietnam Russia Sign Nuclear Plant Deal

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính concluded a four-day visit to Moscow on Wednesday, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to strengthen bilateral ties in energy, trade, and investment. The discussions, held amid global fuel supply disruptions from a conflict in the Middle East, resulted in key agreements, including a formal intergovernmental pact for Russia to construct Vietnam's first commercial nuclear power plant.

The centerpiece of the visit was the signing on Monday of the agreement for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant in south-central Vietnam. Witnessed by Chính and Mishustin, the deal involves Russia's state-owned Rosatom building two VVER-1200 pressurized water reactor units with a combined capacity of 2,400 megawatts, modeled on reactors at Russia's Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant. Vietnam aims to have the first unit operational by the end of 2031, with a feasibility study for an associated nuclear science and technology center due in April 2026. Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev described the project as "the foundation for a long-term industrial partnership, which will strengthen Vietnam's energy...