Hanoi (VNA) – Slovenia is ready to cooperate and share its experience with Vietnam in developing clean and renewable energy, nuclear power, green economy and circular economy, Slovenian Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer has told Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia Vu Le Thai Hoang.
Speaking highly of Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements as well as its energy transition orientation and goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the minister suggested that relevant agencies of the two countries soon establish connections and move towards signing cooperation agreements in priority areas.
At the meeting with Kumer, which was also attended by President of the Management Board of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant Gorazd Pfeifer, Ambassador Hoang affirmed that nuclear energy and energy infrastructure are among Vietnam’s strategic priorities to promote green and sustainable development in line with the Resolution of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
In late 2024, Vietnam agreed to resume the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project with a total planned capacity of over 4,000 MW. The Government has set up a steering committee for the construction of nuclear power plants and assigned 11 domestic training institutions to implement programmes to train about 4,000 personnel for the two future plants, he noted.
The ambassador proposed that Slovenia share its experience in management, safe operation, environmental standards compliance and human resources development at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant – one of Europe’s highly rated facilities in terms of safety and efficiency since it began operations in 1983. He also expressed the hope to promote cooperation in training, expert exchange and the establishment of a technical coordination mechanism in this field.
On this occasion, Hoang also visited the Krško Nuclear Power Plant to learn in detail about its management model, safety system, waste treatment processes, maintenance and equipment upgrades, and human resources training.
The plant is a joint venture between Slovenia and Croatia, using a two-loop pressurised water reactor technology supplied by Westinghouse, with a capacity of 737 MW. It contributes about 35% of Slovenia’s electricity output and employs nearly 700 staff.
The ambassador later met with Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Luka Mesec to discuss enhancing cooperation in labour and vocational training. The two sides focused on potential collaboration in areas matching Slovenia's demand and Vietnam's strengths, including health care, construction, industry and agriculture.
Hoang highlighted that Vietnam is now in its “golden population” period, with around 68% of its population being of working age and an annual increase of about one million people. Vietnam views overseas employment not only as a socio-economic policy but also as an important channel of “human resources diplomacy”, helping improve skills, professional qualifications and industrial work styles, thus contributing to the country’s industrialisation and modernisation. Meanwhile, Slovenia is facing population ageing and shortages of high-quality manpower.
The complementarity between Vietnam’s young, dynamic workforce and Slovenia’s labour demand presents considerable cooperation potential, he noted.
Minister Mesec expressed his support for the proposals and backed the initiative to organise a Vietnam – Slovenia labour and vocational training cooperation forum in 2026, aiming to consider the signing of a labour cooperation agreement to create a favourable legal corridor in the near future. The forum is expected to help businesses and training institutions of both countries strengthen connections and expand cooperation in sectors requiring high skilfulness and adaptability in language and culture./.
