During an official meeting on March 19, hosted by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Szijjarto Peter and the PM discussed measures to strengthen cooperation in education, mechanical engineering, electronics, tourism, labour, and railway connectivity between Southeast Asia and Central and Eastern Europe.

PM Chinh emphasised Vietnam’s urgent need for Hungary’s expertise in training highly skilled personnel for nuclear power operations - an area in which Hungary excels and that is vital to Vietnam’s energy strategy.

Minister Szijjarto declared Hungary’s commitment to supporting this initiative.

“With 50 years of experience operating nuclear power plants using technology from the Russian Federation, Hungary is prepared to train 1,000 nuclear power plant operators for Vietnam,” he said.

The two sides also agreed to review the legal framework for bilateral cooperation, expedite negotiations on an agreement for the readmission of citizens, and finalise the Cooperative Agreement in Labour.

Acknowledging shared foreign policy interests, PM Chinh and Minister Szijjarto pledged to enhance meetings, exchanges, and collaboration at multilateral forums.

They reaffirmed their commitment to peace, cooperation, and development as global priorities, emphasising that disputes should be resolved peacefully and by international law.

PM Chinh also urged Hungary, as an EU member, to call on other EU countries to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement and to encourage the EU to lift the yellow card issued against Vietnam's seafood exports.

Vietnam has decided to restart the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project, aiming for operations by 2030. This revival includes the planned Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 nuclear power plants, each with a capacity of 2,000MW. It is expected to provide jobs for approximately 2,400 workers.

This initiative poses significant challenges for the atomic energy sector, particularly in securing a highly skilled workforce for construction, operation, management, and ensuring nuclear safety.

According to Dinh Van Chau, rector of Electric Power University, for the successful implementation of the nuclear power project in Vietnam, it is crucial to develop a highly qualified workforce with in-depth knowledge of nuclear power and radiation safety, which must be addressed promptly.

“Nuclear power is a field that requires a high level of scientific and technical expertise, demanding a highly qualified workforce from design, technology, and infrastructure development to operation and nuclear regulatory management. Human resources are not only a decisive factor in the success of the project but also play a crucial role in ensuring long-term safety and operational efficiency,” said Chau.