Ambassador Le Dung, Vietnam’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Ambassador Le Dung, Vietnam’s permanent representative to theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment tomaintaining close cooperation with the agency to promote the application ofnuclear technology for peaceful purposes and to serve sustainable development,especially in resolving global issues such as disease, climate change, andenvironmental pollution.
Addressinga teleconference of the IAEA Board of Governors from June 15 to 19, Dung welcomedthe IAEA’s building of the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action Project.
Heexpressed his belief that the project would help member nations develop nucleartechnology so as to better manage pandemic threats such as COVID-19.
He toldparticipants that Vietnam gained initial success in the fight against the COVID-19pandemic, confirming 334 cases of infection by June 16 with zero fatalities.
Theambassador took the occasion to thank the IAEA for supporting Vietnam inapplying RT-PCR, a nuclear-derived method, to detect the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2,as well as financial and technical contributions from such countries as the UK,the US, Japan, Canada, and Norway to help the agency provide its support.
Duringthe teleconference, delegates discussed the main issues in the IAEA’s operations,such as its nuclear technical cooperation programmes with members and theenforcement of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) SafeguardsAgreements between the IAEA and Iran, Syria, and the Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea (DPRK).
The Boardof Governors is one of the two policy-making bodies of the IAEA, along with theannual General Conference of IAEA Member States.
The 35-strongboard examines and makes recommendations to the General Conference on IAEA’sfinancial statements, programmes, and budget. It considers applications formembership and approves safeguards agreements and the publication of the IAEA’ssafety standards. It also appoints a Director General of the IAEA, with theapproval of the General Conference.
Vietnamhas been elected to the IAEA Board of Governors many times and was Chair of theBoard in 2013-2014./.
VNA
