Vietnam was elected to chair of the Board of Governors for the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during the 2013-14 term at its meeting on September 23.

Earlier at the 57th IAEA General Conference, the agency's state members unanimously elected Vietnam and 10 other members to the IAEA Board of Governors for the 2013-15 term.

 Ambassador Nguyen Thiep thanked IAEA members for their trust and support towards Vietnam, saying the country's inaugural assumption of the position showed Vietnam’s  development at the agency and multilateral forums. It is marked a new step in implementing the country’s policy of international integration.

With several nuclear power programmes currently in operation in Vietnam, its participation and chairmanship of the Board of Governors offered an excellent chance for the country to contribute to implementing the Agency's goals, Thiep said.

He added that Vietnam would also show its consistent policies of promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as well as non-proliferation of nuclear weapons towards the complete and thorough disarmament of nuclear weapons worldwide.

Having joined the agency in 1978, Vietnam was elected a member of the Board of Governors for the 1991-93, 1997-99 and 2003-05 terms.

Vietnam's participation has contributed to promoting co-operation between the agency and the country in raising the capacity of nuclear energy research, development and use for peaceful purposes in Vietnam.

VNA/ VOV online