MoU for Australian and Vietnamese nuclear organisations

Wednesday, 10 October 2018

The agreement was signed during a visit to ANSTO by a delegation led by VAEA Director General Hoang Anh Tuan.

ANSTO CEO Adi Paterson said the MoU would give the organisations an opportunity to cooperate more closely on areas of mutual benefit. "ANSTO has worked with a variety of Vietnamese agencies for many years through multilateral fora such as the IAEA, the Regional Cooperative Agreement, and the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia", he said.

Discussions were held on possible areas for cooperation including research reactor operation and utilisation, environmental monitoring of mining tails, and food provenance.

The Vietnamese delegation, which also includes representatives from Tran Hung Dao Hospital, the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (VARANS), the Centre for Nuclear Applications of Nuclear Technique in Industry, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, will continue with a comprehensive, week-long programme to observe other organisations involved with the application and regulation of nuclear science and technology in Australia.

This will include visits to the Australian Synchrotron, Austin Hospital, Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute, the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Alliance, an industrial sterilisation facility, and the regulatory standards setting and environmental monitoring laboratories of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.

The visit, which has been facilitated by ANSTO's International Affairs team, is part of the International Atomic Energy's Technical Cooperation Programme.