Cooperation with S. Korea on nuclear power plant construction strengthened

2011/11/08 21:56 KST

(LEAD) Vietnam agrees to strengthen cooperation with S. Korea on nuclear
power plant construction
By Chang Jae-soon
SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- Vietnam's president agreed Tuesday to seek
greater cooperation with South Korea on nuclear power plant construction, a
joint statement said, raising hopes for Seoul's export of an atomic power
plant to the Southeast Asian nation.

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang reached the agreement with South
Korean President Lee Myung-bak during summit talks in Seoul. Sang arrived
earlier Tuesday for a three-day state visit aimed at discussing ways to
improve bilateral relations and economic cooperation.

The two leaders agreed that continued pursuit of nuclear power
generation will back up their economic development, help cope with climate
change and make sustainable development possible, a joint statement said.
They also agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation for peaceful use of
atomic power, it said.

"The two sides took a special note of South Korea's proposals on
developing a nuclear power plant in Vietnam based on South Korean
technologies, nurturing human resources, transferring technologies and
cooperation in other related areas," it said.

The sides also approved and welcomed a jointly prepared plan on atomic
power plant construction, and agreed to "use the plan as a basis for future
cooperation projects to be undertaken in accordance with agreement between
the two countries," it said.

The summit agreement boosted South Korea's chances to win a project to
build an atomic power plant in Vietnam.

Vietnam is trying to build a series of nuclear reactors for power
generation, with Russia expected to take a deal to build reactors No. 1-2
and Japan expected to win a contract on reactors No. 3-4. South Korea has
been trying to win a project to build reactors No. 5-6.

South Korea is a global atomic energy leader that relies on nuclear
plants for about 40 percent of its electricity needs. The country has also
been trying to export nuclear power plants since Korean firms won a massive
contract in late 2009 to build four atomic power plants in the United Arab
Emirates.

Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked for South
Korea's participation in the Eurasian nation's nuclear power plant
construction project during a summit meeting with President Lee on the
sidelines of this year's G20 summit in France.





Lee and the Vietnamese leader also agreed to make further efforts to boost
trade between the two countries to US$20 billion earlier than their target
year of 2015, and further expand it to $30 billion at an early date, the
joint statement said.

They also welcomed the successful conclusion of a joint study into a
possible free trade agreement between the two countries, it said.

The two sides agreed to designate next year as the year of
"Korea-Vietnam Friendship" and push for a series of exchange projects to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of relations between the two countries,
the statement said.

The leaders discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in international
stages and agreed to work closely together on such global issues as climate
change and green growth, the statement said.

Sang was the first Vietnamese president to visit South Korea in a decade.

jschang@yna.co.kr