"We have already proposed to Vietnam the whole range of our export supplies. These include large units, small and medium power plants, and small modular reactors, both in land-based and floating versions … We are ready to give a significant part of the work to Vietnamese companies, Vietnamese specialists," Likhachev told reporters, speaking about localization of possible joint NPP projects.
Over the past few years, over 400 Vietnamese specialists have received education by Rosatom at Russian universities, some of them have completed internships at the state corporation's enterprises, and a number of specialists have worked on foreign projects, he added.
In the past, Vietnam took nuclear power out of its energy development program, but the country's current intensive economic growth and the need to address environmental problems are likely to force it to return to nuclear power, the Rosatom head said.
"The current discussion by Vietnam's authorities of the development of nuclear energy technologies in the country is already quite different. But this is a sovereign matter, we will wait for their decision," Likhachev added.
Likhachev was part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s delegation during a state visit to Vietnam from Wednesday to Thursday. During the visit, the Rosatom head signed a memorandum with Vietnamese Science and Technology Minister Huynh Thanh Dat that sets a timeline for implementing the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Technology project of the two countries.