Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh attended a working dinner marking the opening of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC on March 31 (local time).

Da Lat nuclear reactor.

The working dinner, hosted by US President Barack Obama, saw conversations surrounding threats to nuclear safety that were joined by leaders from 50 countries worldwide.

The Nuclear Security Summit, scheduled for March31-April 1, aims to bring the international community closer in coping with threats posed by nuclear terrorism globally.

It also serves as a forum for the world leaders to reiterate their highest-level commitments to enhancing nuclear and radioactive materials security and the fight against nuclear terrorism.

The Vietnamese delegation’s presence at the summit conveys Vietnam’s consistent policy of non-proliferation, gearing towards complete disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons; using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and ensuring nuclear security and safety.

It also highlights the country’s strong objection to using nuclear power to threaten peace, stability and security in the region and the world at large.

This is President Obama’s fourth and final nuclear security summit. The previous events were held in Washington DC in 2010, Seoul of the Republic of Korea in 2012 and The Hague of the Netherlands in 2014.

Vietnam pursues consistent policy of nuclear non-proliferation

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh is leading a Vietnamese delegation to attend the fourth Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington, the US, from March 31 to April 1.

Vietnam’s participation in the event aims to confirm the country’s consistent policy of non-proliferation towards complete disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear ones.

The country also supports the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes while ensuring safety and security.

At the same time, Vietnam strongly condemns the use of nuclear energy to threaten peace, stability and security in the region and around the world.

Vietnam has actively implemented its political commitments in the field. In 2012, the country joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment Protocol. It also ratified a Protocol to supplement the nuclear safeguards agreement the same year.

In 2013, Vietnam became a member of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. One year later, the country signed with the US an agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and participated in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) to stop trafficking of weapons of mass destruction.

The Southeast Asian nation has actively cooperated with the IAEA and other partners in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) is held every two years. The first NSS took place in the US on April 12-13, 2010 with the participation of leaders from 50 countries and international organisations. The second was held in the Republic of Korea in March 2012 and the third in the Netherlands in March 2014.

The fourth conference, chaired by US President Barack Obama, focuses on the scenario of nuclear terrorism in the current context.

According to the White House, there are around 2,000 tonnes of usable nuclear material around the world while it would require only 25 kilograms of highly enriched uranium to produce a nuclear bomb. Therefore, nuclear terrorism has become a real threat to economy, politics, society and environment of all countries.

VNA