Vietnam to deepen nuclear power cooperation with Slovakia after agreement with Russia

Slovakia said it is ready to share its experience and expertise with Vietnam in building a nuclear power plant, as the two countries move to deepen cooperation across multiple areas.

Strategic partnership and cooperation documents

At a press conference, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that they had approved a joint communiqué to elevate Vietnam–Slovakia relations to a Strategic Partnership. To operationalize the partnership, the two sides exchanged six cooperation documents covering politics-diplomacy, defense, culture, nuclear energy, metrology standards, and local cooperation.

Among the documents was a memorandum of understanding between the Vietnam Institute of Nuclear Energy and the Slovakia Nuclear Power Plant Research Institute. Slovakia also stated it is willing to share its experience and expertise in nuclear power plant construction, as well as in the defense industry.

Trade, business exchanges, and tourism

Prime Minister Fico said Vietnam is not only a friend but also Slovakia’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and that Slovakia aims to increase exports to Vietnam. He noted that the visit includes a large business delegation and that exchanges and forums between enterprises are expected to produce concrete outcomes, with economic cooperation activities supported by both governments.

Fico also welcomed Vietnam’s visa-exemption policy for Slovak visitors and said Slovakia hopes to establish direct flights between Slovakia and Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to boost tourism.

Nuclear project cooperation and education

Fico said Vietnam is moving forward with a nuclear power project and reaffirmed Slovakia’s readiness to share its know-how and expertise in nuclear energy and the defense industry.

On education, the two sides discussed training more professionals in nuclear energy and other areas of cooperation, with Slovakia expressing hope that more Vietnamese youths will study in Slovakia.

Diplomatic ties and trade figures

Since Slovakia separated from Czechoslovakia in 1993, Vietnam and Slovakia have continued the relationship inherited from Vietnam–Czechoslovakia ties, with February 2, 1950 cited as the date diplomatic relations were established. In 2025, bilateral trade reached about $1.781 billion.

Related nuclear agreement with Russia

Earlier, on March 23, during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Russia, Vietnam and the Russian Federation signed a government-level agreement on cooperation to build the first nuclear power plant on Vietnamese territory. Preliminary information indicates the Ninh Thuan 1 project will include two units with a total capacity of about 2,400 MW, using VVER-1200 reactor technology developed by Russia.