Indian Council of World Affairs

The interesting facet of the joint communiqué released after the two-day visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin at the invitation of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh between 14 and 15 January 2025 to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations was that the two sides are on the road to enhancing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) that was signed in 2012. As part of this, the two sides have agreed to cooperate in a number of sectors, including reviving their cooperation in the nuclear energy and nuclear science sectors.

Resultantly, a memorandum of understanding between Rosatom and Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has been inked, with the intent of setting up a nuclear power station in the central Ninh Thuan region of Vietnam. It has been proposed that the combined capacity of the two power plants would be 4,000 MW.[i] Although the Ninh Thuan proposal was first mooted in 2009 to feature VVER-1200 reactors of Russia, it was rejected by the National Assembly of Vietnam in 2016, even before construction could begin, due to cost considerations.[ii] At that time, the Southeast Asian country’s nuclear power plant was to have been constructed in collaboration with Rosatom and Japan Atomic Power Company on a US $8 billion loan.[iii]

The current revival of nuclear power in the Communist country, with about 400 trained professionals in the nuclear energy sector, aims to complete the construction of the Ninh Thuan plant by 2030.[iv] This effort is not only in line with the 2025–30 timeframe of cooperation between Hanoi and Moscow but also addressing Vietnam’s long-term energy security and net zero commitments by 2050. It is also worth noting that 2030 will also mark the Centenary Year of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam.  

However, it should be noted that the revival of the Ninh Thuan proposal aligns with the commitment made by the two countries during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Vietnam in June 2024. During this visit, it was agreed to establish a Nuclear Science and Technology Research Centre project and to construct a 10-megawatt microreactor in the southern Dong Nai province of Vietnam.[v] This nuclear research centre will produce radioisotopes for medical and industrial purposes, conduct silicon irradiation with neutrons to produce semiconductor materials, train the workforce for the nuclear energy sector, and conduct research in material and physics science.[vi]

It is worth noting that this is not the first time Vietnam has engaged with its partners in the field of nuclear sciences. The first nuclear reactor in the country, the Dalat Nuclear Reactor, was constructed in 1963 with assistance from the United States with a TRIGA Mark-2 Nuclear Reactor. This was a 250 kWt, whose operation was suspended in 1975 after the end of the Vietnam War. In 1984, this facility was again made operational, and its capacity was doubled to 500 kWt.[vii]

The Russian Roulette 


While at the outset, this level of cooperation between Hanoi and Moscow could be seen as deepening bilateral ties, the nature of Russian engagement with Vietnam is to be seen in a larger context. The newfound enthusiasm and energy in the field of nuclear cooperation with Vietnam seem to fit with a larger Russian foreign policy framework. In the 2023 released ‘Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation’ by the Kremlin, Moscow has envisaged a zone of ‘Greater Eurasian Partnership’, which also includes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)[viii] as a regional organisation that must be associated with its objectives. It is in this context that the Russian nuclear energy-related engagement in the Southeast Asian region should be seen.

For one, the nature of engagement in the nuclear energy domain is a clear testament to the nature of ties that Russia shares with its partners in the domain of atomic sciences. This also indicates that the partnering countries are willing to hoodwink the sanctions regime imposed by the West on Russia and Russian entities, including Rosatom.

Secondly, the West has some reservations with respect to nuclear energy and science, especially after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi incident in Japan. Consequently, Russia has been quite proactive in partnering with select countries in this domain, not only bilaterally but also under a multilateral arrangement. For instance, in the case of Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Rosatom has partnered with India for the construction of the same. Some analysts are indicating signs of renaissances in the civilian nuclear energy sector. If that is indeed the case, Russia is likely to benefit from its leading expertise in partnering with countries of the Global South in this field especially research in medicine and agriculture.

In February 2023, a nuclear technology information centre was inaugurated in Yangon, Myanmar, by Rosatom. This centre is expected to explore the ‘peaceful use of atomic energy’ in Myanmar[ix] and eventually set up Small Nuclear Power Plants. Additionally, Russia is also reportedly working towards exporting its floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) to some countries in West Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa.[x] As such, Moscow has already offered the FNPP to India.[xi]

Thirdly, Russia has acknowledged the reality of the emerging multipolar world order in its Concept of Foreign Policy and is realigning itself accordingly. It is in this context, that Russia’s energy engagement, including in the nuclear sector should also be seen. The joint communiqué issued during the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin to Vietnam mentioned, for instance, that the two sides would cooperate in joint oil and gas projects on the continental shelf of Vietnam and in Russian territory. The joint communiqué also mentioned that cooperation in energy exploration and exploitation would be “in accordance with the laws of the two countries and international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”. The reference to UNCLOS is important, as Russia is expressing its position on the ongoing South China Sea dispute as distinct from that of its “limitless” friend China which is the aggressive party in the dispute.

Given this backdrop, the Ninh Thuan nuclear project addresses Vietnam’s energy and environmental concerns while also providing flexibility to Moscow in its external engagement. By positioning itself as a reliable nuclear partner, Russia is able to advance its bilateral ties while circumventing the sanctions imposed by the West.

*****

*Dr. Sripathi Narayanan, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal.

Endnotes 

[i] Vietnam Signs Nuclear Cooperation Agreement With Russia, NUCNET, January 15, 2025,  https://www.nucnet.org/news/vietnam-signs-nuclear-cooperation-agreement-with-russia-1-3-2025, accessed on January 16, 2025.

[ii] Vietnam holds Russia talks - and sets up nuclear project steering committee, World Nuclear News, January 14, 2025, https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/vietnam-and-russia-expand-nuclear-energy-cooperation, accessed on January 16, 2025.

[iii]  Vietnam Signs Nuclear Cooperation Agreement With Russia, NUCNET, 15 January 2025,  https://www.nucnet.org/news/vietnam-signs-nuclear-cooperation-agreement-with-russia-1-3-2025, accessed on January 16, 2025.  

[iv] PM sets five-year deadline for Việt Nam’s first nuclear power plant, Vietnam News, January 15, 2025, https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1690701/pm-sets-five-year-deadline-for-viet-nam-s-first-nuclear-power-plant.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email,  accessed on January 17, 2025.

[v] Vietnam, Russia enjoy fruitful energy cooperation, Vietnam Plus, June 19, 2024,

https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-russia-enjoy-fruitful-energy-cooperation-post288814.vnp, accessed on January 20, 2025.

[vi] Vietnam, Russia cooperate to build 10MW nuclear reactor in southern province, The Investor VAFIE Magazine,  July 5, 2024, https://theinvestor.vn/vietnam-russia-cooperate-to-build-10mw-nuclear-reactor-in-southern-province-d11045.html, accessed on January 20, 2025.   

[vii] Dalat Nuclear Reactor: safe operation over 40 years, Vietnam Plus, March 25, 2024, https://en.vietnamplus.vn/dalat-nuclear-reactor-safe-operation-over-40-years-post285757.vnp, accessed on January 20, 2025.  

[viii] The Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, March 31, 2023, https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/fundamental_documents/1860586/, accessed on January 21, 2025.

[ix] Myanmar Regime Opens Nuclear Info Center in Yangon, The Irrawaddy, February 7, 2023, https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-regime-opens-nuclear-info-center-in-yangon.html, accessed on January 20, 2025.  

[x] Russian export push for floating nuclear power plants, World Nuclear News, June 16, 2023,

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Russian-export-push-for-floating-nuclear-power-pla?socid=odmR9gFF8UvV, accessed on January 21, 2024.

[xi] Floating Nuclear Power Plants, Rajya Sabha, July 25, 2024,   https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s35b8e4fd39d9786228649a8a8bec4e008/uploads/2024/08/20240805749352155.pdf, accessed on January 19, 2025.